Rock Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee Podcast

2020 Rock Hall of Fame 

Place listening Paris France - continues to lead the list, Mountain View, CA and San Jose CA, Amsterdam and long lost friends in Ashburn VA all checking in the top 5 or 10 places listening this week 

France, USA and Netherlands are the top 3 countries - also UK, Spain, Australia, Iran, Turkey and Iraq - based on episode 299 - not shocked on those countries listening 

Bad Boys for Life aka part 3, I’m all over it. Feel like it’s rare in hollywood to take like 7 years before part 2 and then like 17 more years before part 3. Both Spiderman and Batman have been rebooted twice each between Bad Boys 2 and Bad Boys 3

For the first time in 7 years the winner of the fan vote didn’t get inducted. And this year it was first time nominee, Dave Matthews Band.

Fans are up in arms, 1,000,000 people voted for them, USA Today is covering it — and frankly — I’m not a big fan of snubs — but this Manufactured Controversy is probably good for the Rock Hall’s awareness in the public consciousness.

Getting In: 

Whitney Houston — the second biggest oversight of the past 3-5 years after Janet Jackson and now they are both in

The Notorious BIG - this is a no-brainer for me - but the Hall Has snubbed LL Cool J - so it’s great to see them get one right. 

Depeche Mode

Nine Inch Nails

Doobie Brothers 

T. Rex - they are about to spur on a spinoff podcast titled “Who is the worst act inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame”.

I voted on November 7th - My Votes were Biggie, Whitney, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden (soft spot for Cornell), Dave Matthews Band. I felt the biggest LOCK was DMB. 

At the Time of My vote in November: 

DMB was leading with 385,656 votes  (Only the beatles and rolling stones have had more #1 albums)

Pat Benatar was 2nd with 363,191 votes (this is a huge snub as well) - 8 gold albums from 1979-1988 including 6 straight going platinum. Her “You better run video” was the 2nd ever to be on MTV. 4 straight GRAMMYS for female performer of the year. 

The Doobie Bros were 3rd with 328,435 votes  HOF 

Soundgarden was 4th with 325,264 votes (first Seattle grunge band to sign to a major label)

Judas Priest was 5th with 286,131 votes 

Depeche Mode was 6th with 265515 votes  HOF (arguably the best version of synth-pop out there) 

Whitney Houston was 7th with 247,791 votes  HOF  (Basically invented the national anthem as a spectacle at Super Bowl 25)

8th Thin Lizzy 

9th Motorhead

10th Nine Inch Nails  200,116 votes  HOF  (Godfather of pop/ industrial rock)

11th Todd Rundgren

12th T Rex 150,692 votes  HOF  (There are people saying they essentially invented Glam Rock when they left “Psychedelic Folk Music”- welp 

13th Biggie Smalls 148,173 votes HOF  (Biggie is what this is all about. Larger than life persona who did his version of music at the highest level possible). He’s always listed on the mount rushmore of MC’s - he’s gotta be in. I’m stoked and shocked that they got this right. 

14th Kraftwerk 

15th Rufus ft. Chaka Khan 68,852 votes 

Nashville Podcast

Nashville Bachelor Party Sites and Sounds 

Places listening France by a mile or a kilometer actually, USA clear #2, UK, Canada, Kenya, Seychelles, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Germany, Philippines, Tanzania, Ukraine, Maldives, Pakistan, Marshall Islands, Indonesia, South Korea, Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Latvia, Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Sweden, New Zealand.

Top Cities listening - Paris, Moorestown NJ, Bernalillo NM, Atlanta, Miami, Nairobi Kenya and Portland Oregon 

Shout to out to Big Larry, Dan O’Brien, Doug Brown, Andrew Brown, The Navyator, The Aviator, Mikeviator  

People never talked about the 1900’s version of the 'teens when we were kids. Heard about 20’s -70’s - lived through the 80’s and 90’s and then came the ‘Aughts which we called the 2000s, and we never really switched to the “teens” for these past ten years. We called the the 2010’s — which is fine - but the past 7 years were the teens.

Tyler Seguin and two teammates

NHL Players in fancy suits on Bird Scooters saying stuff - that’s a wild confluence of events. 

Subscribe on Deezer, Spotify, in addition to Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Google Music Play. Instagram at Filibuster Freestyle and Twitter Filibuster Freestyle 

Wine, Wall & Dragons - Season 8, episode 6 podcast

Game of Thrones Season 8 

Wine, Wall & Dragons Season 8 Episode 6 - the Series Finale 

the recurring line of the night was some variation of - they don’t get to choose, she doesn’t get to choose, etc. — in some ways i think that’s appropriate to all the people filing petitions about re-doing Season 8 to HBO. The fans we don’t get to choose. We get to watch.

Tyrion Finds Jamies and Cersei and cries about it 

Dany gives Fascist dictator speech in either Dothraki or Valayrian or in Unsullied/Astapor language. We get it. She’s a menace now. 

Why doesn’t Dany kill Tyrion as soon as he throws away his “hand pin”? 

Arya “Jon you’re a threat to her, you’ll always be a threat to her. I know a killer when I see one”.

Between Tyrion and Arya - Jon’s getting a lot of negative feedback on his Aunt/Paramour/Queen. “love is the death of duty, duty is the death of love”, Aemon Targaryen.  

Dany walking up to the Throne, which is so similar to what I think was a dream sequence in like season 2 or so — pretty awesome. Still held out hope for her in some way shape or for at that moment, but as soon as i saw Jon’s shadow in the arch way -  i figured it wouldn’t end well. (drogon covered in snow). 

Dany takes one more crack at the old we could be lovers Jon - and he’s like dude really, we’re still in episode 73 going to try to make the incest angle work? But he takes that opening and he stabs Dany while they embrace. Bold move. 

Dany’s story has three betrayals. Once for love, once for blood, and once for gold. I think last night night Jon’s actions were the betrayal of blood or love. Could be either.

Why didn’t Drogon burn Jon? (Some are saying it’s cuz he “Can’t be burned like Dany” — i feel like they would’ve shown that at some point if that were the case.

Drogon melts the iron thorne to nothingness. Very symbolic maneuver for a Dragon. 

The 3 best spinoff ideas i’ve heard… Arya’s adventures “West of Westeros”, Tormund and Jon in a “buddy cop type show”. I think if Tormund were the main character and Jon was around every few episodes… that’d be ideal.

The Arya spinoff show would be amazing. Arya comparisons to Columbus — let’s not do that to Arya. 

Edmure Tully with the weirdest flex of ALL-TIME - at the council meeting trying to make the case for his “kingship”. Bro you’ve been gone since season 6 and were a prisoner of the Frey’s for 3 seasons before that… HAVE A SEAT. You might want to sit the next couple of plays out, Champ.

What happened in Las Vegas? To all the money gambled. 

#1) the iron throne is melted down to nothing so nobody sits upon it. #2) Dany had it before Jon killed her 3) Bran is the King of the 6 kingdoms and 4) which means Sansa is a queen in her own right? 

Sam: Let’s have a democracy? Brings out the LOLZ from the nobles. 

Tyrion essentially makes Bran “the Broken” a King. Bran’s like yeah i knew it! Bran the Broken - not a great nickname for a king. 

Also, how about the progressive north finally coming around to a female ruler full-time — nice work Sansa 

Bran giving the North “independence” — that was nice, but don’t we think that Yara and the Prince of Dorne are going to declare their own independence within like 48 hours of this “Great council meeting”? Both Kingdoms love declaring independence, they have for over a century. 

I like Jon beyond the wall - because the Wall doesn’t need a Watch with a giant hole in it, the wildlings are pretty cool with the northerners and the Night King is Dead.

 More importantly, the wall is no longer part of the seven kingdoms, the wall is part of the North - So, technically isn’t is sansa’s decision to send Jon to the wall.

Also - Grey Worm got played — he let them elect Bran King and then Bran was like you can’t kill Jon. 

Bronn gets Highgarden - Seems like there have been an unusually high number of warden’s of the south. good luck to Bronn.

Small Council - Bronn (Master of Coin), Brienne of Tarth (King’s Guard), Sam (Maester), Tyrion (Hand), Davos (Master of Ships). Is Bran going to “warg into Drogon” - he mentions that he’ll try to find them. 

Tormund lives, Jon is reunited with Ghost, the Unsullied ship off for Naath. 

Unanswered question - was Tyrion a Targaryen?  Can Sam still be with Gilly if he’s a Maester? What’s up with Daario Naharis in Mereen?

Last one - what happened with Meera Reed. Bran’s the king, she lugged him to safety time and time again. Lost her brother, and he sent her packing.  

Would Cersei Winning or the Night King winning have been more satisfying than this ending? 

The Starks were down 3-0 in the series at one point. Ned died, Catelyn and Robb died. Sansa went through hell. Bran was stuck in a tree and Hodor saved him. Rickon never had a shot. The dire wolves were all dropping like flies. Jon got stabbed by his own men at Castle Black, Arya went blind and was being hunted by an assassin. Yet. at the end of the day, when the winds of winter blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. 

And now it’s spring in the realm and they’re going back on their separate ways. Jon gets to be free. Sansa is a queen. Bran is the King and Arya is going to the edge of the world on adventures. The Starks were the first “good guys” of this series. And they for the most part won. People should be happy for them. 

Song of the summer 2018

Song of the summer 2018 

Back on June 8th I asked you guys if Childish Gambino’s “This is America” is the song of the summer.  

Rosco got a Dog named “Linus” - Plus andrew has a dog — sooooo — we’re likely going to have our first dueling barking dogs on this podcast. 

You guys told me no then — and you were right - but Rosco had a great take on  Donald Glover - you said you think he might be an unprecedented artist. Huge music star, huge actor and created/writes a huge show which he also stars in. Dude is like a certified quadruple threat. 

Will you guys at least give me the take that Childish Gambino is the greatest actor/comdian to pop music transitions ever. Other examples, Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl and who can forget Eddie Murphy’s ironically amazing “My Girl Wants to Party all the time” collaboration w/ Rick James. 

At the time Rosco also said the song of the summer “might’ve been ‘Nice for what’ by Drake until Pusha T murdered Drake with at least 2 epic diss tracks. Totally agree with that take at the time. This song’s got nearly “half a billion” listens this summer on spotify alone. It’s got everything you need in a summer jam. Great beat, great hook, big star is the performer - i can see that song as perfect for the pool, the beach, the bar, a road trip, anywhere. 

Andrew Patterson is the guy who said to me in the year 2011- "We found love in a hopeless place is my official Jam!"

Back on June 8th - Andrew Patterson said the Camila Cabella’s “never be the same” was the run away winner. 

Apparently the "Never be the same" song is on the country charts and pop charts. 

Rosco said — at the time — “Just listed to Never be the same, probably one of the 5 worst songs i’ve ever heard.” What a hot take Rosco P !

It does have 348 million plays on spotify. I listened to yesterday. Here’s the problem, it’s wildly popular, but it’s way too slow to the the song of the summer, and the fact that i’ve never heard it in a bar, or in someone’s car, or during a baseball inning switch, etc… too slow. Also as Rosco pointed out — it’s not great. 

Worth noting that her smash hit “Havana” is quickly approaching 1 Billion listens on Spotify. 968 million listens. That song kind of took the baton from “Despacito” and ran with it. Latin influence, amazingly catchy chorus  — if that came out at the correct time it might be song of the summer. 

Rosco had another hot take - everybody who still likes country should be thrown in Jail immediately

Fast forward to Aug 2nd and where the heck are we with this "4th annual song of the summer podcast”

Well I agree that Pusha T seemed to have killed Drake’s album release - and Drake got punched by Kendrick Perkins during the Cavs - Raptors series. It was a tough spring for Drake (by Drake’s standards). 

But then - because it’s 2018 — Instagram became the source for the Song of the summer of 2018 — because instagram combined social media, with a challenge, and with a pop song. 

I speak of course of Drake’s “In My Feelings” aka the soundtrack to the viral internet sensation of 2018 the "Kiki Challenge”. Before I start, this song is like a throw away version of “Nice for What” — but then it crossed over on instagram as weird combo of “the harlem shake and the ice bucket challenge"  

Here’s my take on “In My Feelings”

Social media found a way to pull a Drake song off the scrap heap and overcome the fact that Pusha T chopped him off at the knees in late May.

A song literally was made popular and mainstream due to a not very well know comedian posting a video of him dancing to the beginning of this song outside of an open car door of a “parked car”. And a month or so later — we’ve got people doing the challenge in moving cars… we’ve got people making their dogs do the dance outside of moving cars and most importantly we’ve got people “FAILING” in epic fashion to perform the Kiki Challenge

I read this quote, “Many people attempting the viral dance have been injured in different countries, prompting police across the world to warn citizen against doing the Kiki Challenge.” Well, any time the cops tell people “don’t do it” — that’s gonna make even more people want to try it. 

The Trend allegedly began when comedian “Shiggy” post the first video of dancing. Only on 2018 would the most popular song be fueled by a 12 second instragram video, and people failing to do succeed at the challenge to the amusement of everyone and to the chagrin of the authorities. 

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, Google the term “Kiki Challenge Fail” and kick back and cringe — it’s amazing

Kiki Challenge Fails: 

Saw a girl fall of a horse in one

Saw a dude get hit by someone else’s volvo in one

One girl get’s out of the car and her dad yells “Eff the Kiki challenge” and drives away while she shrieks. 

Foo Fighters at Fenway was pretty badass — but the awkward bar at the Club Quarters hotel - might have been the highlight of the evening.

Tales from Newport Jazz fest w/ Rosco P

What’s your personal favorite song of the summer?  And what’s you least favorite song of the summer? 

My Fave: Lil Duval “Smile (Living My Best Life)” featuring Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy (who sounds fake). The chorus contains language that some would call explicit — but it’s really really catchy and Snoop gives about 65% effort in this one — which is like 40% more than he’s given since 2003.

Least Fave: Camilla Cabello with Pharrell “Sangria Wine” — that’s a bad effort from Pharell and a bad effort from Camilla. They’ve both done great prior work — but this one is a stinker

The Middle - by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey - approaching 450 million spotify listens —this song is likely one of the best examples of a song that actually is on the radio, on in bars, on at sporting event telecasts, on in dentist office waiting rooms, etc 

SCOTUS Hot takes on Anthony Kennedy retirement, plus Celtics, Red Sox & Patriots

Why is nobody upset with Justice Anthony Kennedy for announcing his retirement before the mid-term elections?

I mean you were appointed by Reagan and you’ve been the swing vote on the Supreme Court for decades. GOP already stole Garland’s spot — the timing of this announcement in July instead of December (post election) is dastardly at best. 

Latest and greatest from the Worcester Food Scene/ East Coast Wing

Favorite Worcester Summer time story (from back in the day or now) 

5 mins on red sox and pats - Do the sox have enough to win it? Will this be the year the Pats regress from AFC Title Game level of success? If so, will they ever get it back? 

5 mins on Celts and NBA Free agency Boogie to Warriors, Marcus Smart stays with Celtics, DeRozan for Kawhi, LeBron to the Lakers - does he get a title? does he get multiple titles?

Marky Sal Wall Decor & Man cook good

"Handmaid’s Tale" and Season Two of "Big Little Lies” w/ Chloe Peterson

Interview Jeremy Johnson, Marky Sal and Dan Ruttle - Ask the same question of 3 guests

If corporations are running the nation and the world, instead of nations — then shouldn’t we at least stop choosing the federal gov’t officials we elect based on a “state by state” basis? If Wyoming as a state, with 600,000 people deserves 2 senators — then I propose that cities larger Wyoming deserve 1 senator (in addition to the two their home state gets).