Tour prep: why Brian bought drum cases for the first time [00:00:00]

Nicky P: Welcome everyone to another episode of We Came From Celluloid. I'm Nicky P, here with the illustrious Mr. Brian Pritchard. How are we doing? Wonderful, Nick.

Brian Pritchard: Wonderful and excited. I'm, I'm looking just on the other side of, the computer monitor is a stack of last minute tour stuff. I got, I got a bass drum head so that I could take all of the spare tom heads and other stuff that I have.

And, and, I actually had a whole line of spare heads, but I didn't have a good protective box for it, so I, I bought a bass drum head so I can put all my spare heads in there. And then for the first time in my life, I actually bought road cases to put the individual drums in, little protective sleeves.

I, I, I got soft cases, not hard cases, but, because, you know, just the, the cost difference was dramatic. But I, I still feel good about, the progress made and showing some love to my gear and, it's, you know, what, one, what, what I wanted to say about it is that I've noted with interest how it really does, I don't really worry about having all these supplies and backups and a- all of that same stuff.

We play gigs all the time, right? And, and, and technically it's like if my double bass pedal suddenly broke, it would be a problem in Cleveland. If, if I suddenly, you know, busted through one of my tom heads, it would be a problem in Cleveland. But I never, ever, ever bring backup tom heads and, like, all of this stuff with me, right?

But, like, there's something about being away from home base where I feel like I, I just wanna be, ready for contingencies in a slightly elevated way, right?

The "fewer options" philosophy and why backup guitars aren't optional [00:02:15]

Nicky P: It's, it's about options. Yes, it'd be a problem in Cleveland, but you know enough drummers in town that if you needed to borrow a, a drum or you need to borrow a, a head or something, it's an op- there, there's extra options on the table.

When we're gonna be out of town, we don't know where any of the music shops are. We don't know, you know, we don't know that they're even going to be open when problem arises. We don't know as many people. It's just the number of options that you have to rectify any situation is fewer. And, you know, like, it's, the, for me, the other issue is always it's like, yeah, it's- y- y- the, the, the options you have, it's like why I, I insist that everyone really should bring guitars, because I don't want us to be cooking in the, in, in Chicago, and have a guitar go out and then somebody has to retune to put a new string on in the middle of a set.

I want, grab the second guitar, plug the fucker in, and then we continue killing our set. It's just the, the stakes feel higher to me to put on the, the best show possible with as, you know, fewer the fewer potential for, for bad things to happen. And, and if like we can prepare for like if the worst happens, the, all we have to do is plug in a new guitar.

That is, that is a much better situation than-

Stakes feel different on the road [00:03:41]

Brian Pritchard: Dude, no, that, that's totally it, isn't it, right? It's, it's the other stuff too, but it is that. It is the idea that like, I, I do care about every show we play, but you're right, the stakes feel different. That like this is our like, it's not one and only, but b- b- because it's the first time, there is th- definitely that elevated sense of like first impressions and saying like, "Yeah, if we want there to be a second, and a third, and a fourth, then like I really want this to be so good."

And, and you're right, that, that sort of momentum killer would be awkward in Cleveland, but, but we're so much among our tribe anyway, and it's like this is the venue we're always playing at, with the crowd we're always playing with, with the fellow bands that we're used to. You know what I'm saying?

Like y- y- the, it, it, it feels like... And, you know, i- if something goes wrong on the road, I don't, I don't assume that everybody there is like pulling out their diaries and being like, crossing our names out, you know what I'm saying? Being like, "Puma Thurman, unprofessional," you know?

Nicky P: Well, it, it depen- it, but that depends on how bad the the- The, the fuck up is?

The fuck up is. Well, and it's like, I mean, it, it, just out of respect, it's like I don't wanna be there and as much effort and time as like a professional like Tlalok has put in, dude, I don't want him, like s- people to get upset with him. They're like, "Oh, what, you, what is this amateur hour you bring in here?"

Like, I wanna show up out of respect and like just bring the A game that I know we're capable of. And it's, and a lot of it's that. It's like, dude, I know what we're capable of out there. And it's like I want us to show exactly what we're capable of. I want, I want to put that at like, you know, I wanna go up there and I wanna, in the, in the words of the old bluesman, I wanna chop some heads, man.

Like, I wanna, I wanna take some scalps or whatever it is. Like, "Hey, no, we're here. We're, we're not playing. We're, we're, we're the real deal."

The best-band-in-the-world feeling (Brian names it) [00:05:39]

Brian Pritchard: No, you know, it's been floating around in my head actually for, for a month or so- I, I, it, it came about actually in the, in, in the Dome show, I think as much as anything because l- as you know, it had been a long time since that unit had, had been on the stage.

But I, I feel like Puma, Puma is unquestionably objectively the more polished and refined performance-ready act right now. But in, in any case, what, what I'm talking about that the, the, the phrase that came into my mind, at that Dome show is any time on stage where you get to that, what I'll call the right now we're the best band in the world feeling, okay?

I don't care if that sounds arrogant. That is, that is what I'm striving for as a performing musician, is to have those moments where I feel that feeling of going, "Yes." No I, I, I'm not naive. I understand that, like, even us at our greatest is not gonna be everybody's thing. That's okay. I just like the feeling of going like, "The way we're executing right now, we are the, the greatest band in the world

And, and I, I really do get to that point sometimes,

What a great opening act does for the whole ecosystem [00:06:53]

Nicky P: And I love it. Well, no, you know, I take it out of our, our, the realm of thinking about us entirely and, and Joe Petrich made a post the other, I think it was, and is, is it him or maybe it was Nico. Either way, out of all the posts I saw about the show last Friday, w- we came out of the gate swinging as far as they were concerned, and we set the bar.

Like, we were the opening act for that particular show, and everyone's gotta do at least as fucking good as we are. And so the s- you know, the stress goes on. I guess the, the, the heat is pushed onto everybody. Like, okay, well, you better start bringing it if you, if that's what we gotta follow, then we, we can't rest on our loyals, laurels.

We make it better for everybody in that show to go up there with the attitude, "I'm going to do the best I can." You're going to h- if they're, if they're worth their salt, you know, the other bands are going to need to, you know, bring it to stand up next to it. So it's, it's better for the whole ecosystem, brother.

It's not competition. It's execution [00:07:55]

Brian Pritchard: Well, and, and to that end too, like, the best band in the world sentiment, just again to be totally clear, nothing going on in my mo- mind is about competition, right, with the other bands. You know what I'm saying? It's, it's not about, it's not about being better than other people. It's just about being the best band in the world.

You know what I'm saying? In the way that indeed when I was watching those other acts, I was watching them be the best band in the world too, 'cause they fucking were. Like, that was a, such a strong show, man. Like, I was blown away as a fan of, Neighbor Dan. Like, Bag of Humans and Neighbor Dan, are bands that, like, I would- go to see as a fan, right?

Like, had we not interviewed and talked to them, had I just ended up as a spectator that night, those were both bands that I was thrilled to fucking buy their CDs and import them into my library. I b- I cycled through that Bag Of Humans, CD probably, like, four or five times. I just, I left it in the player, kept cycling through it.

It's, it's great. And, and, um-

Being a super fan of local bands while also being cocky about your own craft [00:09:08]

Nicky P: To anybody li- to anybody listening, don't, don't ever be, like, as, as cocky as I think me and you can sometimes be about the performance end of things. Don't let anybody think that we're not super fans of, like, the bands. Like, both of us will geek out about local bands. Like, when we love a band, we're fans and, you know, we, we respect anyone who's, like, doing good work out there.

Like, like, to this day, my favorite band in the world ever is a band I watched once opening for, like, I think OK Go 20 years ago, that's a local Cleveland band that potentially I know people that know those guys. They never got huge, like, they were just a local Cleveland act, and it's literally my favorite band that's ever been.

One of my other favorite bands ever is a local Cleveland band because they had two bass players, a drummer, and the wildest set you've ever imagined. So it's like, y- and while I may be cocky and arrogant about what I do, I, I never want that to come off as, like, I don't, I don't appreciate what other musicians do and that, like, I think my shit don't stink, 'cause it's like, no man, I just respect good fucking music.

Like, I respect people that are, like, doing it for real.

When a live performance blows you away but the record doesn't match [00:10:20]

Brian Pritchard: Well, and, and, and one thing I've noticed on that side too is that there are absolutely bands that, um- I don't necessarily love the rec- like, I've had moments, this wasn't one of them, but I've had moments where I was blown away by a performance, I bought the CD, and the CD didn't live up to the performance.

You know what I'm saying? Like, there's something about... There's times also where I could tell even watching the performance that like it's not my style or, you know what I'm saying? Not exactly my thing, but I could still be captivated and, and, and really love, an act based on seeing how much it means to them, right?

That, that you can see them having that best band in the world energy amongst themselves, amongst how they're playing their instrument, and how much they're into it. Even with big acts, that happens, right? Where I've said for years, like I, I love the phenomenon of, coming away from seeing a concert of a band that I love and leaving with a new favorite song.

You know what I'm saying? Like, where, where you're going like, "Dude, that one never landed for me on the record and now it's like all I can think about," you know? Like, you must have had that happen, you know? Yeah.

Rediscovering a band the next morning after the show [00:11:43]

Nicky P: Well, absolutely. What I love more is when I catch someone I've never, never heard before in my life and I've had a few too many drinks at the show, and then I, I, I wake up the next day with this, this disc in my hand, and I get to rediscover the band a second time in a completely different way, and it's like, "Oh my God, this is so good.

This is so amazing." And it's like the... It's almost like this band exists in, like, two different worlds for me at that point where like, oh, they were so, they're, th- this thing was so good that night, and then this thing is so good today. And, like, putting them together is almost, like, weird.

Substances and creative output [00:12:20]

Brian Pritchard: That's not an experience I've had as a, a non-drinker, that, um...

People often think, it's funny how often in, in the business world, I think I come across as, like, super, super straight-laced because I'm not interested in alcohol. But I'm sitting there going, like, "I've literally enjoyed everything else," and I'm not afraid to drink. I just don't really like it, you know?

Nicky P: Well, no, as, as I say, just, just to clear everything up for people, as I say that, I haven't had a drink in probably 15 years. Like-

Brian Pritchard: Well, and I was gonna say that too. It's like I certainly don't know you to party at all like that, yeah. But-

Nicky P: But, but there have, there have definitely been some fun times at the Grog Shop where I've, I've indulged on a night and, like, made it, like, a special thing, and that's how I've walked away.

A- and I guess, you know what, we've never really talked about that. Like, do, do

Brian Pritchard: You have... I- is it a specific- Do you, like when w- when we're all together without, an agenda in Chicago on this coming Monday, for example, like do you see yourself like partying with the band or not so much?

Nicky P: I, I, well, that's the thing, I don't, I, I don't know what that looks like for you guys.

I, for, like I, as I, I just said before this, like I'm looking at the f- people who are listening, we're doing this the Wednesday before we start. We're leaving on Saturday, and from Saturday, the 27th through, July 6th, the, that period of time, my entire job is Puma Thurman. So my o- my hope is to drag everyone into as much work as I possibly can.

You know, if like when we're home, I, I can't get Noel around to do like acoustic covers and stuff like that, and do, do acoustic performances for stuff for the social media. So it's like I have to try it. For me, I have to try and squeeze in as much as I can to that end. I'm not gonna, I'm gonna try my best to not be a dick to everybody else about like, you know, how they choose to spend their time on this.

But like I'm going in it with very clear-cut goals of creating as much as I can to build the brand and whatnot. Th- also to that end, br- there are surprises in store for the band that they're even unaware of that have been cooking b- back here in the little Pecoe land that will be unveiled while we're on tour to either nausea or cl- you know, golf claps.

Tour surprises being cooked up back in Pecoe land [00:15:00]

Brian Pritchard: Okay. That's, that's a, a hell of a teaser.

Nicky P: Yeah, you know, um- I got a, I got a l- a lot of s- I got a lot of sewing yet to do this week, but, uh-

Brian Pritchard: It's funny how much like alcohol in, in, is m- just kind of mainstream in general, but, but I don't react well to it, and it certainly doesn't, enhance my musical-

Nicky P: It's too expensive for me

Brian Pritchard: Ability. Well, the, for me, the, the, the biggest problem I'll, I'll tell you a situation I point to that, that not made me like, again, like be like, "I'll never have another drop," but, when Brian Noel used to live in... He was away in school. Brian Noel has been my musical collaborator since, 1996-ish, I wanna say.

So, so like 30 years, right? And there was a chunk of time where he spent six years, living in Athens, Ohio, so like four hours away, and there was another chunk of like six years where he was living in Chicago. But anyway, during the Athens era, him visiting Cleveland and us getting to get together to play guitar for a little bit- It was like my big chance to take all the stuff that I'd been working on for months, you know what I mean?

And be like, "Oh my God, I finally get to sit down and show this stuff to my friend." And I, I remember the one time he came over and he brought a, a bottle of Jäger with him, and we took a couple Jäger shots before sitting down. And I was immediately non-functional because I'm not a drinker and I, and I didn't have the tolerance for it.

And, it made me incapable of playing the guitar, and I was so fucking sad. You know what I mean? And, and, and just, like, pissed at, like, what a stupid fucking waste of time this is. I don't even like alcohol, like, and, and here I am throwing away this, like, precious, precious window of time, for nothing.

But-

The Jäger story / Brian Noel and the wasted practice window [00:17:08]

Nicky P: That's for, that's weed for me, for the record. Like, I become incoherent and, eh.

Brian Pritchard: Interesting, yeah, 'cause I was gonna finish that saying, "But then again, I smoke weed every day," and, like, that to me, like, doesn't slow me down, or fuck with my stuff. In some vague way I, I almost justify it as an enhancement.

My, my buddies laugh at me, if you've ever seen Half Baked, that Jon Stewart segment where he's like, "You ever look at the back of a $20 bill on weed?" You know? Like, that was the, to me the big epiphany, like, discovering weed as a teenager was, like, all the stuff that I was already so excited about, like, a, a piece of music that I was already nerding out about, like, I would smoke weed and listen to it and it was like, oh, even better.

Yes. You know? And, it's not an endorsement, I'm just saying that that's been my personal experience.

Weed as enhancement vs. weed as obstacle [00:18:04]

Nicky P: Yeah. To each their own. For me, like, I mean, and I've never, I've never... Like, I've done many or most of the substances out there just to try Acid was the only one that I ever really liked, and I've only done it the once.

Like I have a thin enough grasp on reality and kinda live in a fantasy world anyways to a certain degree, so just never seemed like a good choice to do that kind of stuff. Anything that was gonna make my heart race seemed like a bad idea for a guy who's got a temper like mine, so coke's off the table.

And drinking was, you know, it, it was okay. It could be a nice relaxer, but then I got fat and it got too fucking expensive. Like, I can't be spending 200 bucks every time I wanna get drunk. So it's like, you know, n- I don't need it. None of this stuff needs to be a part of my life. I'll just kinda, you know, do my own thing and be sober.

I have nothing against anyone who does do stuff. Like, I clearly have been in a band with a bunch of potheads for 10 years, and it doesn't, doesn't bug me. But it's like, yeah, whatever, you know? They, they, that's how they, they do their thing.

Travel personalities: Manhattan seven times vs. "I don't understand vacations [00:19:22]

Brian Pritchard: Well, and to that end, I've actually had the, the, the thought like, a lot of my friends, um- Most of the guys in the band, I mean, certainly M- Max and Connor, I don't remember who all goes, but a lot of the guys go on, like, a N- a New Orleans trip that I've thought about going on, and at some point I may.

But I've also heard them talk about it in a way where I'm going, "Boy, like, even as much as I love you guys and I love traveling, that doesn't sound fun to me." Like, I don't like sitting in bars, like, for indefinite periods of time. I find it really fucking dull. I get kinda antsy in general, like being almost anywhere for like, I say, too long.

I like bouncing around. Like, I'm not a beach vacation kinda guy either. Like, like, if, if I'm going to a beach house sort of spot, there needs to be like other stuff to do nearby. I, I, I keep pushing... Like, my, my family loves going out to Outer Banks, like my mom and dad and my sister, and I'm so grateful, any time that anybody wants to include me in their plans.

Like, the first thought truly is just being like, "No, it's nice to be loved and thought of," right? But yeah, like sel- selfishly I've mentioned to them, like, "Can we get out to, like, the Jersey Shore or somewhere where, where I could spend a few hours looking at the ocean, but then I could go, like, drift into Manhattan when I want to?"

But s- honestly, like most people, I feel like, that I run into, when, when I talk about places, like, that I've been to Manhattan seven times, they look at me like... And they're like, "No fucking way would I want to go to that city over and over and over." And I'm like, "Dude, that's like the only place I want to visit."

Like, I don't know.

The Milan Kundera thing / effort as the source of meaning [00:21:18]

Nicky P: Well, I mean, we've, we've covered my, my opinions on, like, vacations in general, and, like, just the concept doesn't even appeal to me.

Brian Pritchard: Well, that's true, like camping versus city life and yeah.

Nicky P: You know, I, e- well, even, I mean, even camping it's like, it's, I don't know. It's different. Like, it's- I don't know what the thing, the appeal of camping is, 'cause it's still a bunch of work when you do it, but it's just different.

I, I, I guess anything that doesn't require work, I just kinda feel like, you know... A- and, and maybe it's just part of, you know, my own belief in the, the Milan Kundera thing, you know? Any, any time spent that does not su- inc- incur some sort of hardship is wasted life, 'cause it doesn't do anything to make you who you're going to be.

Brian Pritchard: Wow, I haven't heard that philosophy, but boy, is that a fucking bummer of a statement. No, thanks.

Nicky P: Oh, not at all. No, but it's like, how much... I guess, the idea is based on, like, change. Nothing that is, good changes you. It's only adverse things that change you, and it's the changes that make you who you are, ultimately.

And so it's like-

Brian Pritchard: So while fundamentally agreeing with that, the other side of that coin is I think it's a fairly universal feeling. Not, a- again, maybe not for you, may- not for everybody, but I think there's a lot of Wanting to make things better for, for your kids, right? I, I've certainly talked to a lot of people that have that sentiment of going, "My life was hard.

I have kids now. I would love to have their lives be easier than mine." Right? Now, and, and certainly there's, there's definitely, to the sentiment that you're describing, you see... I'll just use the extreme example for simplicity and say, you know, that kid that lead to trust fund babies, and you know what I'm saying?

Like, people who are just, like, wild assholes in the world with no sense of, of responsibility at all. But-

Trust fund babies and the danger of making things too easy [00:23:26]

Nicky P: There's, there w- the way that you described it, there's actual elements that I, I, I kind of go to. I would never want my li- child's life to be easy. I, 'cause I think that would make for a crappy person.

Like you would the trust fund piece of shit.

Brian Pritchard: No, not easy, but easier than yours, and that's where it c- can get muddy. That's-

Nicky P: Oh, no, no, not even, not even that. But my, my life's been, but for the record I'll also say my life's been fucking dope.

Brian Pritchard: You're right, and mine has too. You're right. Fair enough. I haven't had, like, huge major adversity kind of things.

You're right.

Nicky P: Any- anyone asks me, I say, "My life's dope and I do dope shit," 'cause Kanye West said it, said it once via, what's his name? Jamie Foxx. Said Ka- Kanye West said that to him once in a conversation. I'm like, I love that line. That's, that is literally how I will look at everything from now on. My life's dope and I do dope shit.

And so it's like I, no, like it's not about hardship for me. It's about, I think it's about effort. Like, anything that doesn't require effort is demeaning yourself as a person, 'cause you could always do more, you could always do better. Like, why would you stop here when there's unlimited potential i- in front of you?

It's like I want to always push and see how far I could take anything. So it's like it's cool that I'm here, and that's awesome. But man, what if I spent th- a little more time and took it here? And then I get there and I'm like, but I wanna, why not go further? Why can't I push it a little bit more? And it's, and, and that's, that's how I see it.

It's not about, like, the hardship necessarily for the hardship sake. It's just like, you know, a- a- obstacles are just things to kind of push out of your way, man. Like, and I guess that's the way I'd treat, teach my kids.

The pleasure-seeking debate: is leisure morally suspect? [00:24:56]

Brian Pritchard: So I'm gonna take a different angle with you and say that, like, pleasure seeking behavior, I, I definitely have clocked ways where my pleasure seeking behavior sometimes, causes problems that I then need to go, "Okay, got it.

I'll have to watch out for that." But broadly speaking, I guess I'll pose it as, as a question to myself and to you, is, is, is go, is it morally wrong? Is it, is it, is it a problem? Like, I, I think I'm okay with the idea of having the- The pursuit of happiness be a part of my life, right? And say that a moment that is purely joyful and purely celebratory for the sake of joy, for the, for the sake of pleasure, and, and, and it doesn't need to be more loaded than that, okay?

The chocolate chip cookie, the fucking orgasm, like the, the beautiful piece of music, like all of the things that are purely joyful, those moments don't need to have this other layer of, "But how am I also right now improving?" I think it's okay to just sometimes have the fucking cake and love it, right?

The effort IS the joy / where Nicky's dopamine actually lives [00:25:50]

Nicky P: You're, you're im- you're imposing a morality on this, and that's not what I'm getting at.

Brian Pritchard: No, it's a question. I'm, I'm asking a question. I'm not imposing anything. I'm asking a question.

Nicky P: Yeah. No. Well, no, but I'm saying like, but it's like you're seeing this completely constructed differently than I do. It is the requirement of the work that brings me the joy.

Like, it's the fact that I had to put in t- the effort to push to get to someplace else and then break through to that next place. That is where the joy is for me. It's like, I'm not saying it like, oh, I, I r- you know, hey, I watch a TV show and it's, you know, leisure time and it's enjoyable, I guess. But the joy I get from that is never as big as the joy that I get from, like, accomplishing something, like d- finishing something, you know, taking something to the next level.

It's, I guess, to me, like, that's where the dopamine is. It's in those moments, you know. Do I get lazy? Do I enjoy my, my Starburst jelly beans? Absolutely. But, like, I also know that that's the cheap, easy route to what I want. What I really want is, is that fucking, that, that, the big one I get from, like, the, the doing stuff.

Brian Pritchard: No, you... I mean, it's, it's a, it's an interesting question, right? Because, like-

Nicky P: May- may- maybe I'm just wired differently or wired wrong, but I mean, like, that, that is how it approaches me.

Brian Pritchard: No, I'm just thinking about it. I mean, and, and I did bring up the morality, in a way of posing that question of going, based on your worldview, should I be feeling more guilty for, for, for moments of just, you know, leisure and pleasure, right?

And you're saying no, that's not the implication of it. But, but you also have me thinking of, of going, well, no, I, I... That does resonate with me that there's some unique joy, Like, I think I've mentioned going over to Max's just to have, like, creativity playground time, right? And, and, and trying to pursue a scenario like that where we could treat writing and recording and playing music as more of, like, a game in that way.

And to that end, like, yeah, I keep bringing that up. I've brought it up with James for years too, 'cause he's got a bunch of gear in his basement and, like, in a way, all of the fixings, where it's like, "Dude, James, for as much time as I spend over at your house hanging out, smoking weed, listening to music, watching TV," like, whatever.

And I, and I, and like you said, that leisure time, it's like, no, I'm, I'm having fun, I'm, while I'm doing that. That's true. But if there was a recording studio available to me here, that's the game I would pick every fucking time. You know what I mean?

Athletics, PRs, and trained dopamine responses [00:29:02]

Nicky P: Exactly. And, and so for me, it's like, and, and maybe it's I've, I've exercised that more because, when I was in high school I was a h- I was an athlete.

I was an athlete in college for a little bit. So, like, I have that, that natural, like- I've gone out and searched for P- PRs, personal records, my entire life. It's like, "Hey, I ran that race at this speed. How good's it gonna feel if I can run it 10 seconds faster?" You know, that kind of stuff. And so, like, in my fo- I guess in my formative years, like, I got used to having that regular dopamine response of bam, bam, bam, getting that next level.

That, like, it, it, maybe that's just trained me to want to push myself and, like, take, to get the, I guess to get that, that higher reward as opposed to the easy one.

Brian Pritchard: No, that's well put. Yeah, and you're right. I, I don't have a, a thing like that to point to, right? That, that drumming, which was my big extracurricular, I've certainly spent a lot of time improving my skills, but there's also sort of a, an objective truth.

And I mean this more matter of fact than hopefully coming off braggy when I say I've always been almost effortlessly good at it. Drumming hasn't been a thing for me that, Yeah, like I said, I mean, the, the, the sheer number of hours put in to being in the jazz ensemble, to showing up to practice every week.

Like, I, I've, I've gotten that thing, but it, it hasn't felt like a thing where I needed to push myself. The only exception actually being Third World Leader. When, when I was tapped to play drums in that band, suddenly I wasn't playing with my own songs. And, and I remember, listening to one of the songs on their album that I was supposed to learn, and really, really feeling like, I think I have to call these guys and back out, right?

And, and, and, and I was already a drummer that had put out albums, played hundreds and hundreds of shows. People had been telling me my whole life, you know, "You're an exceptional drummer," right? You know what I mean? And, and, and, suddenly it's like again I, I have a situation where I'm o- and I'm, like, out of my element.

I'm the weak link all of the sudden in that room. That was an incredible experience that I wish I could have back, you know what I mean? The, the, the time that I spent elevating my game to be, worthy of sitting on the, the drum throne with those dudes, was really fucking special to me, and a strong reminder of exactly what you're describing of going like, yeah, having a situation that pushes you.

There was, a joy that, like, really, really sticks with me that came out of... That was a high water mark in, in my- My entire life, when I sit there and say that creativity is, like, this thing that I, I put in this special category, and that for all the things I've done that I've generated from my own, like, you know, songwriting or whatever, it was being a hired gun with those guys that was arguably, like, the greatest creative achievement in some respects that I've ever had.

Hmm.

Third World Leader and being the weak link in the room [00:30:28]

Seeking out better bands on purpose / Hot City Symphony [00:32:26]

Nicky P: So to, to, to double on that story, and so I think I've only ever not gotten one audition. Like, I, I've, I mean, I've auditioned a number of times. I've only ever not been, like, asked to take over a spot once as a vocalist. And in both cases, they, they actually chose a woman instead of me because tits sell better.

But going with that, I, I've al- every minute of my life has always tried to f- not to, like, say I don't love who I'm playing with at any given time, but I've always sought out much better or more talented people than me. I like being the weak link in a band to a certain extent, because I love the pressure of having to push myself.

Like, exactly you said, it's like, you know, until you're in that place where like, "Oh, shit, I've gotta d- I've gotta find a way to make myself worthy of these people I'm performing with." And for anyone who doesn't know, Third World Leader was an incredibly technical band. Like, Br- Brian not being able to, like, immediately out the gate, like, kill that stuff is nothing to say about his drumming.

That shit was wild. Like, those guys were the band that you looked at and said, like... Y- y- you went to watch them to see guys that were just ridiculous at what they did M- many of them have weird social issues because that's all they did was that. But, but man, did they crush. So it's like, for me, I always love that space of like, for me, Hot City Symphony was a, was a lot of that.

Like, I went and got myself into a '70s progressive rock tribute, that all they're doing is Steely Dan and Genesis and Rush and all this time signature music, as I'd call it. And frankly, it's like I had to get better. I don't know that, like, I could've, I could hack some of the stuff that you do. Not that you write anything that's not kind of inherently poppy, but having sat there and had to learn L- Dance on a Volcano/Los Endos by, from Genesis, or in that's like that weird 9/11 or whatever it's in, what- whatever weird time signature that song is in.

And like, having to actually focus on counting and stuff like that, that I'd not be able to hang as well as I do because, you know, like, it was not, not inherently where I come from vocally, but, but man, when I walked away from it, I was like, "God, we did some great stuff." Like, we did some killer renditions of music that nobody else will touch, you know?

And, and just the idea of being able to perform stuff that other people would say, "Nah, I don't wanna put in the work for that." It's a nice feather in the cap. Feels good, you know?

Matt Shelton and local bands that stop making music [00:35:19]

Brian Pritchard: No, you're right. And, and, I still keep pushing, Matt Shelton, who was one of the, the creative driving forces. Everybody in that group was contributing stuff.

But Matt was lead vocalist, lead guitar, I guess. You know what I mean? Of, of the two monsters that played guitar, right?

Nicky P: I'm s- I'm still confused to listen to some of the crap that he was doing and singing at the same time. Like, when I put on those records and I'm like, "Good God."

Brian Pritchard: Well, and, and he was so into, like, like I remember those guys talked about, at different times, 'cause they're the only people on the planet who could.

They're like, "Should we do a, a, a Death cover band?" You know what I mean? And I'm just like looking at... Like, 'cause that, that, that would just be so exhilarating and terrifying to take on as a, as a project, you know what I mean? But, but yeah, I keep, I keep telling him like, "Man, like, at the moment that you send me raw tracks, like, let's, let's keep making music," you know?

I, uh- I'll do, I'll, I'll push those guys. I mean, that, that's one of the, the, the weird things over the years with local bands too. I see it more with local bands than, than with established acts you don't necessarily hear all too often, that somebody makes it to the big show and then decides, "Nah, I just wanna have a normal life."

Right? But local bands do that, you know what I'm saying? Like, local bands, with incredible skilled musicians, you have people that from my perspective as, again, a fan first, I sit there and I go, "But I, I need you to keep making music. I need to keep l- looking forward to your new album. How dare you stop?"

Pat Smear, the Foo Fighters, and opting for a traditional life [00:37:12]

Nicky P: I, I actually can think of a couple, like, musicians that left the big show to do specifically that. In particular I think of Pat Smear from the Foo Fighters who a- after 20... At tw- Well, I mean, he was, he was actually I think the, one of the guitar players in The Germs back in the day, like the '80s. And then he joined Nirvana I think about the time they were touring, like, before they were touring in utero.

And so he definitely toured in utero with them. And that's obviously how he met, or at least how he got the gig with Dave Grohl for the Foo Fighters. And he's, he, he's been with the Foo Fighters and left the Foo Fighters and then came back to the Foo Fighters. His career has spanned that much time.

But he, he did leave 'cause at a certain point he wanted to spend more time with his kids. And that, you do see that one a, a, a lot in the, the machine. Now, you know, that, it, it's people that are looking for a more traditional life is the thing. You and me have kind of opted out of the traditional life, so to speak, in a lot of ways, to do our weird little f- little version of it.

"This is the last time the pre-tour version of us is recording" [00:38:21]

Brian Pritchard: Well, bringing it full circle, dude, that's what we get to talk about when we come back, right? Is that this will be the last time that we're, that this version of ourselves is recording. The version of us that, has never done a tour- here it is guys. You know what I mean? Like, to you and me now, and to anybody listening, this is the last time you'll hear from the pre-tour, the pre-tour fellas.

Anything in the future, we will now have this new data and experience, to put it in such a clinical way. Um-

Nicky P: Well, f- for that matter, for that matter, like, anyone who meets us out on the road, you know, this week, who sees us, y- y- you can come to our show. I think we're playing one on Wednesday. We play one on Wednesday.

We travel on Wednesday.

Brian Pritchard: Wednesday of next week, we, we are in Sioux Falls.

Nicky P: Yeah, so i- i- if you come and see us at a show tonight, as of the day this is released, we're already gonna be different people. Like, we're going, we're already going to be processing that data about, you know, halfway. So tell me how, tell me how you get to hear me be this guy and that guy the same day.

You know, that'll be a fun conversation.

Brian Pritchard: Be like, "Yeah, I was listening to, your, your former self." Yeah. That would be, uh-

Nicky P: Just 20 minutes ago. It was weird...

Brian Pritchard: That'd be lovely. I wanna talk to people, about-

Doctor Who-ing your former self [00:39:51]

Nicky P: Oh, no, be, it would, no, be even funnier is if they meet, they go back, listen to this episode after they've met us in person, and so they get to, like, Doctor Who this shit Where you run into the previous version of somebody

Brian's ambition: grabbing strangers on the road and asking about movies and music [00:40:04]

Brian Pritchard: I'm gonna talk to people, random people, about the intersection between movies and music.

That, those are the sound bites that I'm gonna get from, some strangers. That's my ambition, Nick, so I'll, I'm gonna call my shot Babe Ruth style and say one of the things we'll be able to do in the future is, Do you, do you ever hear the episode Making Hay from Tell 'Em Steve-Dave? Do you... Where they went out to the flea market and, and then they came back.

The episode is basically they, they, they keep stopping and starting the recording that they took when they were visiting the flea market. And I've been thinking of that sort of format, right? Of being like, "Let's go capture some conversations," and then we can come back and listen to it and stop and start and be like, "Yeah, that guy was cool."

Like, or, "He was fucking weird as shit." You know? Whatever.

Nicky P: I mean, talking to people on the road is definitely something I plan to do a bunch of, so.

Brian Pritchard: But I'm not scared to just grab, like, random passerby either, you know? So yeah, let's do all of the above.

Sign-off and The Vandals reference [00:41:10]

Nicky P: Hey, what- whatever, what- whatever your jones, it works for there, buddy.

Anyways, folks, thank you so much for spending another episode with us. Hope to see as many of you on the road as we can. It's, it's gonna be a fun time. I'm, I'm looking forward to it. And, you know, as I'm saying this, we're, we're both kinda psyching ourselves up for what we're going to be doing a week from today.

Brian Pritchard: Yeah, this is the old me. The old me signing off.

Nicky P: Dude, now you got me thinking about The Vandals. Every time I see the old you, the new you picks up the phone. Dun, dun, dun, dun. Take it easy, people.

Brian Pritchard: And we're turning it into music and podcast for you.