Beer, Booze & B.S. Podcast

A biker-party contest became so controversial that someone sent a certified letter demanding the results be overturned—and that is only one of the unbelievable stories Troy Castellano brings to Episode 23 Part 2 of Beer, Booze & B.S.

Troy returns with Chrissy and Paul for another raw, hilarious and unexpectedly emotional conversation about band life, biker-bar chaos, Muscle Shoals music history, groupies, dangerous venues, songwriting, record deals and the stories behind some of his most meaningful songs.

The episode begins with Troy explaining why he now turns down most requests to play cover songs—and which overplayed classics musicians eventually cannot stand hearing anymore. From “Mustang Sally” and “Wagon Wheel” to charging $100 for repeated requests, Troy reveals what really happens when drunk fans refuse to take no for an answer.

Then the conversation dives into the legendary world of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

Troy shares what it was like recording “Head from My Heart” inside the historic Alabama studio connected to legendary recordings by artists including The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart and Paul Simon. He also talks about meeting original Swampers bassist David Hood and working inside a room filled with instruments and musical history most people have heard their entire lives.

And then the stories get completely out of control.

At one biker event, Troy’s drummer’s wife won an adult contest with a $300 prize. Someone became so angry about the results that an official certified letter was sent demanding that the entire contest be reversed.

Yes—a certified letter over a biker-party contest.

In Episode 23 Part 2:

🏍️ The supposedly “rigged” biker contest and the certified complaint
💵 The unbelievable argument over a $300 prize
🎸 Why Troy refuses to play many cover-song requests
🎶 “Mustang Sally,” “Radar Love” and the most overplayed songs
🔥 Groupies, musicians, motorcycles and the attraction of band life
🔫 Dangerous country bars, guns, baseball bats and fights during gigs
🎤 Troy’s rapid-fire Band Guy Confessions
🎹 Recording at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
🎸 Meeting original Swampers bassist David Hood
📀 The story behind Troy’s song “Head from My Heart”
🌎 Why “Hell We Raised” connects with listeners around the world
📻 Commercial jingles, television placements and music licensing
💰 How songwriting, publishing rights and master recordings really work
🤖 AI-generated music videos and the changing entertainment industry
🍌 A taste test of the Cutwater Banana Mudslide
🍒 Trying Cherry and Grape Carbliss cocktails
🖋️ Troy’s daughter’s incredible artwork and tattoo career

But Part 2 also contains one of the most emotional moments ever shared on Beer, Booze & B.S.

Troy tells the story behind “Enough to Say Goodbye,” a song inspired by something his mother said after surviving cancer, strokes and a heart attack. Troy explains how she heard the song before she passed—and how she took her final breath at the very end of the recording’s last strum.

Troy also shares the story behind “This One’s on Me,” his tribute to military members and veterans. The song was included in a Minnesota country compilation project that Troy says helped raise approximately $70,000 for Minnesota military causes.

This episode moves from outrageous biker stories and musician confessions to legendary recording studios, family, grief, veterans and the real business behind making music.

It is funny, honest, emotional and completely unpredictable—exactly what happens when Troy Castellano sits down with Chrissy and Paul for Beer, Booze & B.S.

🎬 WATCH EPISODE 23 PART 1:

https://youtu.be/pcST8Oxb4lA

🔥 WATCH THE PART 2 TRAILER:

https://youtu.be/3_1VbXWfz3Y

🍺 SUBSCRIBE TO BEER, BOOZE & B.S.:

https://www.youtube.com/@beerboozeandbs

🎧 LISTEN ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS:

https://feeds.transistor.fm/beer-booze-b-s-podcast


What song would someone have to pay you $100 to perform—or listen to—one more time?

Please LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE this episode with your musician friends, biker friends, veterans, Minnesota locals and anyone who loves unbelievable true stories.

Do you have a wild, powerful, funny, unbelievable or inspiring story? Or do you know someone who does? Email beerboozeandbs@gmail.com and tell us your story — we would love to hear from you.

#TroyCastellano #MuscleShoals #BeerBoozeAndBS #BikerStories #NashvilleMusician

What is Beer, Booze & B.S. Podcast ?

Beer Booze and BS is a bold new podcast filmed inside Frontier Liquor in Zimmerman Minnesota where craft spirits cocktail culture and unfiltered fun collide. Hosted by Chrissy Bohnhoff this show delivers liquor tastings off the cuff conversations giveaways and a real behind the register experience. We spotlight local legends badass women small town rebels and anyone who loves a strong drink with a side of real talk. Whether you are into whiskey vodka tequila or craft cocktails you will feel right at home. New episodes drop weekly featuring liquor reviews cocktail tutorials biker vibes exclusive merch drops and raw stories you will not hear anywhere else. Support local drink local and do not take life too seriously. Subscribe and sip with us. BeerBoozeBS LiquorPodcast DrinkLocalMN CocktailCulture MinnesotaPodcast WhiskeyTasting

Chrissy:

What song that you've sung, you know, in your time? Obviously, do your song that you've written and a song that you've covered, like, really gets the band, like, the crowd going? What song is that?

Troy:

Well, right now, in this recent years, it's Hell We Raise.

Paul:

Okay. Sure.

Troy:

Because that's so many people's story. I I get I get messages throughout the world. About that? Not thousands, but, like, I get messages from from Germany, from South America

Paul:

Really? That

Troy:

people latch on to that song about, you know

Chrissy:

Has that made you the most money or the most streamed? Like, how do you make your money out of

Troy:

your music? Yeah. That's probably the most streamed. Then one I wrote last year or, I mean, I put out last year called Think and Drive. It's been really

Paul:

Okay.

Troy:

Really good. Probably around

Paul:

Are you on YouTube only or Spotify?

Troy:

No. YouTube, Spotify, Amazon. Anywhere

Paul:

you can listen to music. Yeah.

Chrissy:

And then So hell we raise is a song about my Sandy, basically.

Paul:

Shenanigans don't build up.

Chrissy:

He did it. In the he cast photos of, like, a bunch of the kids from my growing up

Troy:

Yeah. Parties and shit. Not the rig music video, but all the teasers I did with it. Yeah. It was all friends from my sanny.

Paul:

Yeah. Yeah. It was Like, all the parties you had right before the fucking rodeo and shit.

Chrissy:

He was asking people to send in photos. I'm like, I don't have any photos. I couldn't afford a camera back then.

Troy:

Yeah. Isn't that true? It was hard to come by.

Paul:

Yep. When I was that age like 14, 15, I had the fucking the whine and click fucking one. Oh, yeah. Where you fucking hit on your tummy, you'd be like, alright, get ready. Fucking smack it on your hand and do the click.

Troy:

Oh, yeah. You get

Paul:

the random most fucked up photos. Yeah. I was going through it a couple weeks ago and I was looking at it like I got a just a stack of these fucking photos and it's like half of them are blurry. You got your finger in the way. Yeah.

Paul:

It's not like now when you can fuck digitally fucking

Troy:

Let's do it again.

Paul:

We Or fucking look at it.

Chrissy:

Buy the throwaway cameras. Yeah.

Troy:

That's how they get the most. Yeah.

Paul:

Go to go to Bill's one hour Bill's one hour I can only imagine the shit that that dude has seen like, I know he wants to I know the shit I

Chrissy:

had developed was pretty fucking bad.

Troy:

Right? The shit like The original dick pics.

Paul:

Yeah. Even the shit from like my grad party, think I had like My grad party, think I There was like three to 500 people. I had, like, five kegs, and they were all quiched by, like, fucking midnight almost. I had to pay for my own kegs. My parents are like, fuck that.

Paul:

I'm not paying for shit. We're not losing our house because of you. Yeah. These grandparents are doing fucking keg stands

Chrissy:

and grandparents were?

Paul:

Oh my

Chrissy:

god. I can imagine.

Paul:

Dude, that was the most rowdy fucking

Troy:

Oh, the cover song, I think.

Paul:

So I

Troy:

The most popular one that so I don't

Chrissy:

Gets the crowd going.

Troy:

Do a lot of covers. I I really decline a lot. It kinda makes people mad because they want me to play some covers, but I'm like, that ain't my lane anymore.

Chrissy:

But you did back in the day.

Troy:

One of the fun ones was Radar Love. Oh. Killer Boldering. Jam. Yep.

Paul:

Fuck you.

Chrissy:

And we Funny story. That's one of my mom's favorite songs.

Troy:

We'd just tear

Paul:

that up.

Chrissy:

She would love that song. Yeah. I remember her to get her foot to that. Yeah. Funny.

Chrissy:

Radar Love. Yeah. You don't even

Troy:

That's a road song, man.

Paul:

But a

Chrissy:

lot of people don't play that. I mean Yeah. You would have to be like a old school PQ fan. They'll even know what that is.

Paul:

Probably. Yeah.

Troy:

You know what?

Paul:

I I don't know. Maybe

Troy:

I have

Paul:

it all

Troy:

now. Yeah.

Paul:

Divorce my head that drives my heel. How do I not know that song?

Chrissy:

You probably did.

Troy:

It's a road.

Chrissy:

It's a

Troy:

highway song.

Chrissy:

It's totally a biker song.

Paul:

I was just listed actually, like, this week, I was just playing a lot of like fuck. Like, Eagles, Mob Seeger

Troy:

Yeah.

Paul:

Show like that recently.

Troy:

I I got to record

Paul:

E O Speedwagon.

Troy:

I got to record a song in Muscle Shoals sound in the studio. That's a whole another story, but, like, where all the Bob Seeger stuff was recorded. Really? The panels there. Oh, yes.

Paul:

That

Troy:

That piano was also used for Freebird. That piano was used for wild horses rolling. Like, the the studio is like, it's cut. This whole story began that.

Chrissy:

No. Don't.

Paul:

Muscle Shoals

Troy:

is, you know, a huge music area about

Paul:

Where is this?

Troy:

It's Alabama. So it's it's about 70 miles from miles. It's not that far.

Paul:

Nice.

Troy:

But this studio

Paul:

gotta live in like a perfect Rolling Stone's

Troy:

Wild Horses, Jumpin' Jack or Brown Sugar, all of the of the Bob Seger records. Right. Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart. There's there's it's ridiculous.

Paul:

Thousands. Yeah.

Troy:

And I I mean, we went in there and I went and toured it in 2015. They had they restored it back to how it was, and they got all the original instruments back in there. No shit. And I toured it in 2015, and I remember just rubbing the walls like, you get some

Paul:

shit on me. Right. Right? Get some good vibes

Troy:

going in. Vibes. Yeah. And they weren't they weren't let nobody it wasn't a professional school. They wouldn't let you record there.

Troy:

Right. Closed. It was just kind of a museum. Then I wrote a song called Head From My Heart with a friend of mine in Muscle Shoals, and we're across from studio. Mark Mark Narmore is his name.

Troy:

He he wrote, like, Craig Morgan's, what

Speaker 4:

I love about Sundays. Oh,

Troy:

yeah. So, anyway, Mark, I'm I'm like, hey, Mark, do you think you can get me in session over there? You know? Like, can we record over there? And they were allowing out 15 to twenty twenty four when I did that.

Troy:

By that time, they had revitalized it

Paul:

and Nice.

Troy:

Back to a recording studio. And so he's like, yeah. I can facilitate that. And we I recorded a song there, and it's like the video is called head from my heart. The video I mean, I don't like looking at myself,

Paul:

but Sure.

Troy:

But the video is cool because you see inside the studio me recording Oh, yeah. I got Bonny Bates, a guitar player, Will McFarlane playing on it. And the video was a little bit of a there's documentary. I did interviews with everybody too. Like, my one of my good friends in in Nashville played played with Tim McGraw for, like, eighteen years.

Chrissy:

Oh, wow.

Paul:

Holy fuck.

Troy:

So he's on live like you're dying real good man.

Paul:

All of

Troy:

those those hits up he played with them up till about 2011, but he's on there.

Chrissy:

Okay.

Troy:

And he's he's playing the original Mellotron that's in there. It's a keyboard thing, but there there's so much like, man, you know Aretha Franklin's hits, you know? Yeah. There's a guy named Spooner Williams that I

Chrissy:

He just throws these names out like

Paul:

I know. Dude, I can't remember what I was for fucking breakfast. He's like throwing back from like thirty years ago names and fucking

Speaker 4:

Let me put How

Paul:

the fuck are you making

Troy:

songs that you heard on Bob Seger? Like, I wish my brain was functioning a little better today because It's alright. There's

Paul:

It's all happens when you drink whiskey

Troy:

and that you've heard your whole life.

Paul:

Mhmm.

Troy:

And as we're shooting this video, one of the bass players, the Swampers, you know, in the Larry and Skinner where they go Muscle Shoals got the Swampers. Yes. The Swampers was the group of session guys that played on all those records in that studio that I'm talking about.

Speaker 4:

Oh, really?

Troy:

And so

Chrissy:

That's cool to

Paul:

know. Fucking crazy.

Troy:

David Hood is one of the remaining ones. He's eighty eighty two. He's the bass player. He's all over that every Bob Seger, Pop Seger, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson. I'm like I mean, I

Chrissy:

so many people involved in this

Troy:

record Yeah. Playing the music. These these five, six musicians played on all those records. You

Chrissy:

know? Like That's amazing.

Troy:

When Paul McCartney went there to

Chrissy:

But nobody the average person isn't gonna know these

Troy:

people. No.

Paul:

He's gonna no one would is

Troy:

like something like, hey. I want I want that group of players that played on those records. You know? And so they get Paul Simon too. You know?

Troy:

Code of Chrome, 50 ways to leave your lover, all these songs. So I'm I'm shooting my video there because they let me shoot some video Yes. For the music video. And then David Hood's in there. He's the original bass player and all that.

Troy:

And I'm like, mister Hood, like, I've heard you all my damn life. Like

Chrissy:

The other person isn't gonna know.

Troy:

Like, only music. Songwriters and session players. They're all behind scenes.

Chrissy:

All gonna know. Yeah.

Troy:

They're all behind

Paul:

the scenes.

Chrissy:

That's cool.

Paul:

That's fucking crazy. Absolutely. Maddie, we're gonna do our second drink. When you have a chance, it's we're gonna do that cut water.

Chrissy:

Yep. I got hot water. Oh, cut water banana mudslide.

Paul:

I don't know what this is gonna be like.

Chrissy:

It's really good.

Paul:

A hot Is it a liqueur? Yeah.

Chrissy:

It is.

Paul:

A hot hint

Chrissy:

it's gonna be delicious. Strong.

Paul:

And it's fucking delicious.

Chrissy:

We have loved all the cupboards.

Paul:

Oh, I love cupboard. I bet this is gonna be

Chrissy:

This is 13% alkanol, comes in a four pack for $15.69. It's a ready to drink canned cocktail made by Cupwater. It's got vodka, coffee cream liqueur, banana liqueur, and chocolate.

Paul:

$100 does it taste like 99 bananas mixed with kalua? Probably.

Troy:

A little coffee.

Chrissy:

Probably. Two of guys. Here we go. I'm not a banana.

Troy:

Did did you get me?

Paul:

I I just the tip.

Troy:

That's what she said. Oh.

Chrissy:

Not real banana y.

Troy:

It's almost like

Paul:

ice even taste that potent either compared to what normal This is really smooth.

Troy:

Yeah. Ice cream.

Chrissy:

Very very good.

Paul:

I I felt like there would be more

Troy:

banana Banana now and laters. Yeah. You remember them?

Chrissy:

This is a call.

Paul:

Now and laters.

Troy:

Yeah. Yeah. Squares.

Paul:

Fuck. Yes. Dude, when we growing up

Chrissy:

They were like, those would break your teeth.

Troy:

Yeah. God. Break your fillings out.

Paul:

I broke one fuck yesterday. No. Oh no. I think, you know what, the fucking dentist, like every of my like the last couple visits I had, he's like, oh no, it looks good, we're just gonna watch it, whatever, and I think it was already cracking or breaking or doing something. Motherfucker.

Paul:

You just let it go.

Troy:

Just And a little hard Cheeto.

Paul:

Yeah. It's like on a Friday, you just didn't wanna fix it. I'm like, fuck that

Troy:

out, man.

Chrissy:

What do you think? Is this good?

Troy:

Yeah. Would you

Paul:

buy it? Would you drink it?

Troy:

That's again, it's like that's a that's a starter pack.

Paul:

Sunday sipper. Yeah.

Chrissy:

You know what? I'm not a banana liqueur type person.

Paul:

It's not as much banana as

Troy:

I figured

Paul:

it would be. Yeah. I

Chrissy:

feel like it tastes more chocolate in it.

Troy:

More salted on that too. Yeah. Yeah. It's really good.

Chrissy:

I'd give it probably like an eight.

Paul:

I'd drink the fuck out of that. Fuck. Delicious. What do you

Chrissy:

give it? I forgot to rate the

Paul:

It's hard to give it a fucking rating because compared to what? Like, if you're comparing it to our fucking You know what we always say. The chart

Troy:

fucking It's like a daiquiri. It would be great. Yeah. Crushed frozen icing

Chrissy:

Frozen icing. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Well, put it in

Paul:

a blender with some Fuck. Yeah. That would be bomb.

Speaker 4:

Mhmm. Yeah.

Paul:

I'd give it like an eight and then

Chrissy:

I'd fish. An eight out of 10.

Troy:

Are you are you rating it? Is that what you do? Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.

Chrissy:

Forgot to do the first one.

Troy:

Definitely do eight on that.

Paul:

Oh, that raspberry lemonade one is a fucking hard nine and a half 10.

Troy:

Yeah. You like that one?

Chrissy:

That was good. Yeah. I just don't I can't do whiskey. I just Yeah. Cannot do it.

Chrissy:

But alright. On to the next.

Troy:

You got hang on my like, you you it's some guy called me the other day. He's a filmmaker. And he's like, hey. I wanna do a documentary on me. On you?

Troy:

Yeah.

Paul:

And I'm like, what do Dude, that'd a badass.

Troy:

What do you wanna do? Like, what I said, what makes you wanna do a documentary? He's like, I've been reading on your stuff. It's like,

Paul:

you got a story. Lot of shit.

Troy:

Yeah. I'm like But

Paul:

you do a fucking lot of cool

Troy:

I know. I and I but then when you start asking me all these things and it's like

Paul:

You just start going. Yeah. Spectrum to the next. You know? It's it's not just you're not just music or you're not just this or that.

Paul:

It's like you've got fucking stories over here, over there. Yeah. So it's I could see a fucking documentary.

Chrissy:

I feel like since

Paul:

we I bought you. I feel

Chrissy:

like it's the era that we grew up in though. Like, we were kind of like on our own.

Paul:

That's like feral fucking children Yeah. With fucking wildcats on your own.

Chrissy:

Yeah. We weren't under our parents' thumbs.

Troy:

And we weren't we getting crushed by social anxiety like kids.

Paul:

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Troy:

I mean, I go through it we'd go through it probably and when we post stuff, it's like, didn't nobody care? Like, you know? I've learned to move on. Like, whatever. Here's what I found out with social media.

Troy:

Like, if I got 20 likes on something, and then when I go out in public, I hear from 50 people, like, you saying, like, have you seen it? Hit like, man.

Paul:

Here's the love. Yeah.

Troy:

But most people don't participate.

Paul:

See, so like, I

Chrissy:

Or make a comment or something.

Paul:

Yeah. Like with YouTube, I never knew that it made a difference if you hit the like and it's People like don't know that. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, I never I'd watch YouTube for hours, days on end.

Paul:

I'd never hit the like button. No. When I anything I watch, I hit the like because it it moves the needle and it's like, if I liked it, that means that someone who watches the same shit I watch, they're gonna get to see that now or something.

Troy:

You know?

Chrissy:

It also put out there more.

Troy:

Yeah. And it also lets YouTube know, oh, that's the kind of stuff you like. Right.

Paul:

So then you Yeah. It shows you more of that same Yeah.

Troy:

Don't do that shit with politics because that

Paul:

Oh, god.

Troy:

Crush your feed with a bunch of hype. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Paul:

You don't no one don't know one wanna get into that shit.

Troy:

No, man. Like, I I I'm I'm guilty of myself of being pretty outspoken on my personal page and I'm

Paul:

Yeah. I'm

Troy:

drawn back. Shut up, Troy.

Paul:

I know. It's hard to it. And it's like it's like you see something and you're like, just wanna say it and it's like, you know what? I just I don't wanna deal

Troy:

with bullshit that comes along with it. Yeah.

Paul:

Like, I don't wanna deal with fucking Karen fucking speaking her mind about all of this fucking upsetting.

Troy:

You know what I found out? It's like, I get it when people see me when I post my opinion on my page. Right. But I don't realize when I go post something on some other post that all of my friends are still seeing that. I'm like Yeah.

Paul:

How how

Troy:

what are you doing over there on

Paul:

that page? How do

Troy:

you know that? How do you see that? Yeah. Then it's like, I didn't know. Like, everybody's seeing my post.

Troy:

Yeah. Like, I'll get on there about the Minnesota flag.

Paul:

I You know?

Chrissy:

Yep. And agree with you, obviously.

Troy:

I have my my Mhmm. Original Minnesota flag shirt. I wore it here the other day walking into Walmart, and I could see a couple of side stairs. You know? Oh, really?

Troy:

Yeah. Just people They're

Paul:

side eyeing you?

Troy:

Yeah. Like, oh, he's one of them guys.

Paul:

Because Be like, fuck yes I am. Fuck you.

Chrissy:

And there's what?

Troy:

I go to my daughter. I go, like, my shirt's controversial.

Paul:

And I'm like

Troy:

But I mean, wasn't that bad. I just noticed Yeah. Crazy. Some people kinda go and, like, give you the cool nod or some people going like, oh, you know. Funny.

Troy:

I just feel I'm gonna make this one statement.

Paul:

I One

Troy:

isn't up here that super controversial. That

Paul:

Which one's that? The socialism one.

Troy:

Oh. I feel that that new state flag is really the Minnesota Democratic Party flag.

Paul:

Fuck. Hardest one. Percent.

Troy:

Yeah. I

Chrissy:

mean, it's the Somalian.

Paul:

It's not

Troy:

represents It's

Chrissy:

literally the Somalian play.

Troy:

Yeah. Yeah.

Paul:

And You couldn't get any

Chrissy:

from Minnesota got a vote on it. I didn't.

Paul:

I never seen anything about I like how like some of the cities are like, fuck you, we're going back. Like I think Coon Rapids.

Troy:

Oh, many. Yeah.

Paul:

Saint Francis did. Yeah.

Troy:

I hope I wish hope

Paul:

I wish more would. People don't have the balls, they're like, oh, they're gonna take away my fun eating if I don't get fucked.

Troy:

I keep tabs on Minnesota politics because I listen to as the props for Garage Logic. Do you know Garage Logic? Don't know. Joe Sousere.

Paul:

I was in the dirt by garage.

Troy:

Used to be on KSTP and talk show. And his show is all garage logic. It was always about, you know, motors and bikes and cars and Oh, fuck. I never heard that shit. But now it's a podcast that I listen to.

Troy:

They talk about a lot of Minnesota issues. Yeah.

Paul:

Well, there's a lot of issues

Troy:

in our state. That's for sure.

Paul:

Yeah. Now fucking start talking about that shit.

Troy:

I can't believe let's not go down there, but I can't believe I I never would have thought the state would be in It's the the cellar that

Paul:

it is. Yeah. Sure. Yeah.

Chrissy:

Definitely in turmoil. What song are you, like, sick of fucking playing? Like, what commerce song is the worst song that people constantly, play this?

Paul:

You're like, play it. You're like, fuck you. I am this

Troy:

Okay. I've been so far removed from that cover thing, but it was, you know

Paul:

But what is the last thing you've done

Troy:

cover band? Thank Sally back Mustang, Sally. Guy or

Paul:

Like your Mustang, Zelle, if you don't shut the

Troy:

One guy like was like, you know, we'd get to the point where like, $100, you know, we'll do it for a $100. Yeah. You know, and some drunk

Chrissy:

guy Will pay it.

Paul:

I would I would 100% be that guy in the bar.

Chrissy:

You would be.

Paul:

Fuck. Fuck. I don't give a fuck if he

Chrissy:

if he Yeah.

Paul:

Why knew you could

Troy:

Yeah. Play that He paid us like a $100 to play cocaine three times in a row.

Paul:

Oh, god. What? There's a But

Chrissy:

you're getting $500 for the night, another $100.

Paul:

Yeah. There was a comedian, fuck, I can't remember his name, but he was in like a diner on a Sunday morning, hungover as fuck, and he had like a handful of quarters. You know, remember, I don't know, back in the day, they're random as fuck nowadays, but they in diners, they had those little like jukeboxes Oh, table. At

Troy:

Yeah. Yeah.

Paul:

Yeah. And you could play

Troy:

Those are cool.

Paul:

Yeah. Fucker took a handful of quarters and played What's New Pussycat?

Troy:

Over and over?

Paul:

Like, 30 fucking. No. Like, I guess he

Chrissy:

That's was

Paul:

a lot alone stuff. He was there at some diner. Right? And he's playing

Speaker 4:

Watch new Booze Cat, not

Paul:

this song. And it's yeah. Right? He's got that fucking intro. It's like, wow.

Paul:

Wow. Wow. Oh, yeah. Obnoxious as fuck. Said it Funny.

Paul:

He said it was like the first time people are like, oh, okay. And then the second time they're like, oh, that's kinda funny. The third time it's like, really? And then like everybody lost their shit by about the eighth fucking They're like unplug that motherfucker.

Chrissy:

Have a great question for you, Troy. Groupies. Oh.

Paul:

How many chicks did Genie have to fight off?

Chrissy:

None. Over you? Bullshit.

Paul:

He's been married thirty eight, forty years. You know what? He's never had to deal with women.

Chrissy:

They're just saying, they don't care. Groovy's like, want you to be married.

Paul:

Yeah. Right? Makes it more of challenge.

Troy:

Analogy that that I kind of lived by where, of course, there always was somebody around. You could get laid pretty easy anytime.

Chrissy:

100% in a rock band. Even I always say if you are in a band or you are on a motorcycle, like

Paul:

Dude, I've never never had that with a motorcycle.

Chrissy:

You just girls fling with

Troy:

something and motorcycles. Yeah. So

Chrissy:

You can be the ugly

Troy:

as far as never she never was the jealous person. She never, like

Chrissy:

She trusted you.

Troy:

This is the rule that I lived by. If you're gonna steal a car, you better steal

Paul:

The most barracks one.

Troy:

Lamborghini because it's all grand theft autos. Don't go don't go steal the fucking shitty bolt. Alright.

Paul:

You're gonna steal,

Troy:

steal The the penalty is the same. Yep. So Correct. That's that's what kinda kept

Paul:

me. You better be stealing a fucking hot rod.

Troy:

And then it would be analogy though.

Chrissy:

I like that.

Troy:

Yeah. If you steal cars, just better steal

Chrissy:

the Yep.

Troy:

And and you're still gonna be I always felt like

Paul:

You're gonna be stealing. For stealing.

Chrissy:

But I mean, I know that people in bands, it doesn't even matter, like, what they look like. I mean, whatever. If you're talented and you're good and sometimes maybe even not even talented, but there's this persona of a girl wanting to be with a guy in a band.

Troy:

Yes. Know? Strange.

Paul:

It is a strange thing. I've never

Troy:

You it's like, you don't even know me. You know? I know. You don't even know what I look like naked.

Paul:

So But you don't care.

Troy:

You're in

Chrissy:

a band.

Troy:

That's the

Chrissy:

same with the biker thing, though.

Troy:

No. You I

Chrissy:

feel like the

Paul:

same thing. What's crazy though?

Troy:

You get dressed and then the girl goes, oh, never mind.

Paul:

Right?

Troy:

Or an

Chrissy:

athlete. I mean, it's that kind of thing.

Paul:

Everyone's like, get a Harrier, you're gonna get way more chicks. I picked up more chicks on my Rocket than I ever did on my Harley.

Troy:

Oh, really? Yeah.

Paul:

100 fucking Yeah.

Troy:

A ride?

Paul:

Yeah. Can have

Chrissy:

you were also in your twenties when you were riding a rocket. Yeah. Probably out and about more, you know?

Paul:

Well, I was still in the early thirties, 30, what, 02/31, 32 when I got my bagger. Yeah. And I was out way more with that than I was with my rocket.

Troy:

Yeah.

Chrissy:

I suppose. Alright. We're gonna do band guy confessions.

Troy:

Alright. Just Let's see how

Chrissy:

this gonna be a quick quick answer.

Paul:

Speed down. Whatever comes to mind.

Chrissy:

Most overrated cover song.

Troy:

Most overrated wagon wheel. God.

Chrissy:

Wagon wheel.

Paul:

Yeah. That one, the Darius Rutger wagon wheel?

Troy:

Yeah. Like, I suppose that's in my psyche because that's what you're

Paul:

hearing about. Because you sing it or because that's just what you hear?

Troy:

It's like, Jesus, guys. I

Chrissy:

mean, not even what he has to sing. Just an overrated cover song. Where you've played most dangerous venue?

Troy:

Oh, you want you you know, probably there's two of them right here in this area. One was the one up there on County 21 in Brook Park.

Chrissy:

Brook Park?

Troy:

Yeah.

Paul:

Up north?

Troy:

Yes. It's just one we used what the hell is the name of that place?

Chrissy:

Was it on 23?

Troy:

Yeah. Like, between Mora

Chrissy:

and Yeah.

Paul:

I know where you're

Troy:

talking about. Yeah. That would be

Paul:

What? Not not Raleigh's.

Troy:

Like Biker and and I've seen pistols pulled. Like at Raleigh's?

Chrissy:

Not at Raleigh's.

Troy:

No. East East. And then Tortine Bethel Bethel Saloon could get pretty.

Paul:

Oh, Bethel Saloon. Yeah.

Troy:

It's kinda

Chrissy:

risque. Yep.

Troy:

Now people always, you know, is it scary playing in the city? Yeah. But the country bars are the worst. Like, I've seen

Chrissy:

More shit.

Troy:

Seen the young folks out. I've seen one guy beachside up there on Ann Lake, a guy coming with a baseball bat calling out another guy, you know, messing around with his wife. You know? Like Fuck off. I've seen people get knocked out many times

Chrissy:

in the

Troy:

bars, like, just right we're playing, like, oh, shit's

Paul:

going down.

Troy:

Just you know?

Paul:

What is, like,

Troy:

the What are crazy do?

Chrissy:

Like No. You just keep playing?

Paul:

Yeah. Just keep what is, like, the craziest shit you've seen, like, just play

Troy:

One was my brother-in-law. Like, he's, like, six foot six. He's a big guy.

Paul:

Oh, fuck. Yeah.

Troy:

Five years in prison. And he it's Jeannie's older brother. But I this guy at at that was at beach night, by the way. This guy you know, the guy that's that comes he's just lit, and he just comes and starts going. Oh, yeah.

Troy:

You know, you could just tell he's just walking fucking for a start

Paul:

to shit.

Troy:

He's doing that to me, and he's doing it to a friend of mine

Paul:

Whoever will fucking bite on the bit.

Troy:

And then we're up playing, I see him doing it to Cliff.

Paul:

Cliff's his name and

Troy:

Cliff's a big boy. Yeah.

Paul:

Cliff's like, I'm your huckleberry.

Troy:

I'm going to watch it. And I see Cliff like poking him with a bull stick, you know?

Paul:

Then that guy Poking the bear?

Troy:

Then Came on. Him out like, boom. And he was out cold, they kicked Cliff out.

Paul:

Goddamn it. They did? Yeah. Aw. He's like, I guess I gotta go.

Troy:

And I'm like and he's really gentle guy, but

Paul:

Teddy Bear?

Chrissy:

Sounds like my brother.

Troy:

I wouldn't mess with

Paul:

him. Yeah.

Chrissy:

Craziest thing ever thrown on stage that you've witnessed?

Troy:

Oh, you know, of course bras

Chrissy:

and all Bras and all Nothing.

Troy:

Now things have been brought to the stage like bottles of liquor and then Nice. Dumbass indulge in that.

Paul:

Yeah. I got you.

Chrissy:

Well, you gotta indulge.

Paul:

Yeah. Fuck yes.

Chrissy:

Worst gig pay?

Troy:

Worst gig pay? Zero. You know? No money.

Chrissy:

No money? But like where was that at?

Troy:

Locally? Just different places.

Paul:

Or you just do it for free just because of shits and giggles?

Chrissy:

Are they did anybody stiff you?

Troy:

Well, yeah. Like, I can't remember the bar. It's been so long, but there was one the guy was threatening to not pay us if we didn't play a song. Really? Yeah.

Troy:

He's he's all This is bar things. Like, a lot of times, bar owners

Paul:

They have stipulations or something.

Troy:

At the end of night. Yeah. And, you know, and we're a band, and we're like, oh, you'll be fucking paying. Yeah. You know?

Troy:

Right. Somehow. Yeah. Oh, fucking trash your

Paul:

fucking place if

Troy:

you don't that. Know? Right? That's yep. So, you know, and threaten them until he paid us.

Troy:

So, like

Chrissy:

Best gig pay. You don't have to give dollar amounts, but, like, where?

Troy:

You know, what I do now sometimes, like, I'll sell tickets. So Mhmm.

Chrissy:

Yeah. That's that where you're making your big money?

Troy:

Yeah. Like, maybe maybe it's kind of private, but anywhere 15 to $3,000.

Paul:

Holy shit.

Chrissy:

For the couple hours?

Troy:

Yeah. Funny. That's fucking bad ass. Yeah. That's why I like playing solo now.

Troy:

Yeah. No shit.

Paul:

Right? I drunk got

Chrissy:

audience you can ever remember.

Troy:

Had to be at one of those biker bars.

Paul:

Biker bars. Yep. I was just gonna say. Did it. Know?

Paul:

We did

Troy:

a Have

Paul:

you ever played in Sturgis, by the way?

Troy:

No. Never. I have never. Dave has. Oh, yeah.

Troy:

Bad Jack, but no, I never did. One of these biker parties we were playing, we oh, it was an one. So Okay. We had a a booby contest.

Paul:

Sure.

Troy:

You know, titty contest. Yeah. 10 girls up there. Well, our drummer's wife ended up winning. Winning?

Troy:

Oh, no. Teresa was her name.

Paul:

So they thought it was, like, rigged or something? So

Troy:

yeah. Well known. So, like, yeah. Now you can hear all the bitches.

Paul:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and

Troy:

we actually got a certified letter from the eBay. Like, no. They they it was sent to the eBay about how they wanted the the whole contest reversed. We have a copy of

Paul:

this shit. So shocked.

Troy:

Letter about shitty contest being rigged and how

Paul:

my It's wife should have

Troy:

like $300.

Paul:

Oh my god. Ordered $300.

Chrissy:

Like a movie, was like $5.

Troy:

That's funny. I mean

Paul:

You're like, here I'll pay your $300.

Troy:

Oh, how

Chrissy:

sad people are petty.

Troy:

Know, and sometimes it's hard to say like

Paul:

who Dude,

Troy:

when it comes to money, people because are pissed.

Paul:

Fuck.

Troy:

Because I'm up there playing, and I don't get to socialize to know.

Chrissy:

But Right.

Troy:

But usually those outdoor parties are

Paul:

The craziest ones.

Troy:

Because everybody's just free, man. Drinking. Yeah. Driving. Yep.

Troy:

They're they're Fuck yeah.

Chrissy:

Any awkward requests ever? Any weird shit that were like, nah.

Troy:

Yeah. Will you hey. Will you bang my wife? You know?

Chrissy:

Oh, I believe that.

Troy:

No. No. I'm kidding. Oh.

Paul:

I'm like, I was just gonna say I shouldn't be in a fucking position.

Chrissy:

Shit like

Troy:

that at casinos. I think, like, I say I say that

Chrissy:

watch us have soaks?

Troy:

Yeah. That's I've there yeah. That's it was never asked, but I know that was what was going on.

Paul:

Like, you know, hey. Come back to

Troy:

our hotel room. Like Oh,

Paul:

yeah. Fuck.

Chrissy:

Jim and I, honest with God, we would we would well, he liked to gamble, so we would go to casinos a lot, but I feel like that happened quite a bit. Really? Yeah.

Paul:

We would get

Chrissy:

up by other couples

Troy:

Yeah. Some swingers. Like, you. No. Yeah.

Chrissy:

Not happening. Alright, Mads. We're gonna try our carbless. Are you gonna to do all four flavors?

Paul:

No. Carbliss? Yes. Let's do them all. Fuck that.

Paul:

I'm gonna I would say, let's try the cherry.

Troy:

Is this sick bastard stuff?

Paul:

Yes. It

Troy:

is. All your designs?

Paul:

It is. Strawberry.

Troy:

That's awesome.

Chrissy:

Everything you see your eye designing created.

Troy:

Nice. Yeah.

Chrissy:

So you see something like you wanna wear.

Troy:

You wanna trade hoodies? You got a

Chrissy:

hoodie? I do.

Troy:

Or even in even in a long sleeve Well, I

Paul:

don't know

Chrissy:

if you'll wear this one. But

Troy:

Probably not.

Paul:

Probably not. No.

Troy:

I I mean, I would. But

Chrissy:

The only hoodies that

Troy:

I have here long sleeve?

Chrissy:

No. I don't. I honestly

Paul:

What do you what do

Troy:

you got?

Paul:

You got

Chrissy:

I got t shirts. I got stuff on the other side too. Look. Cherry, and then there's strawberry, apple, and probably had a piece.

Troy:

Yeah. Because then I'll represent down there.

Chrissy:

Yeah. I'm like, heck yeah. Full shirt.

Paul:

Yeah. I love Big Cole Sartz.

Troy:

Side story. This is my daughter's art. She's she's a tattoo

Chrissy:

She's a she's working as a

Troy:

She's awesome. She did this one when she was just a Kid? Yeah. Like, we got her a kit. Yeah.

Troy:

And this says together forever, never apart, maybe by distance, but never by heart. Aw. This was a little sign or a piece of art she made that hung on my mom's wall when we moved.

Paul:

Okay.

Troy:

Like, to connect Tennessee. Yeah. Yep. Oh, that's like, when she started doing that, I said, you're gonna put down my arm. So this was really crude, but she's gonna come back.

Troy:

We're gonna fix it all up. But she's amazing now. We did this one Absolutely. That. We did this one in August.

Troy:

After my mom died, it was like, I want a tribute to them.

Chrissy:

So is this your dad?

Troy:

Yeah. He died back in twenty twenty o one. But, like so it's like a heart. So you get the you get the the heart, you get Rick and Joanne, and you get the cross.

Paul:

Yeah. That's

Troy:

beautiful. What now? What? Cardinal? Cardinal represents, you know, past people.

Paul:

You

Troy:

know? But we're gonna add on to that. I got some other cool. Now I

Paul:

You can get a full sleeve.

Troy:

I can get it done whenever I want, actually.

Paul:

I have

Chrissy:

my dog Capone.

Troy:

Oh, yeah.

Paul:

Love Bobby.

Chrissy:

And so Awesome. So my goal is to have a full sieva of animals. Full but I know I'm gonna run out of all the animals that I have.

Troy:

You're one like me where you're like for me, tattoos gotta I mean,

Paul:

to do.

Troy:

I'm not putting a panther in an anchor and

Chrissy:

fucking shit like No. I they have to have meaning.

Troy:

I just wanted to show you one thing because

Chrissy:

Do you remember Jody Kahlo? Yeah.

Troy:

God.

Paul:

From school? Yeah. Very, very first tattoo, Spider did, and it was this one.

Troy:

Oh, yeah.

Chrissy:

Right? Bought

Paul:

it. Yeah.

Troy:

That one?

Chrissy:

Yeah. Yeah. The little Playboy bunny. He went and got his first tattoo, and he brought me with. And he goes, you want something?

Chrissy:

I'm like,

Paul:

I don't know what to get.

Chrissy:

Fuck. Picked on a little playboy bunny.

Troy:

Mhmm. This is a proud dad shit because this is drying. That's how good she is.

Chrissy:

What? That's your daughter's drying?

Paul:

Holy fuck.

Troy:

That is

Chrissy:

That looks like a photograph,

Troy:

Let me show you the actual photo. There it is.

Chrissy:

Oh, wow. Damn. No. His daughter is a tattoo artist.

Troy:

Yeah. Oh, no. That's what she's doing now. Wow.

Chrissy:

That looks like a picture.

Troy:

Yeah. That's crazy.

Chrissy:

Is that pencil?

Paul:

Yeah. Look at that. Unbelievable.

Troy:

Whiskers and

Paul:

shit. Dude, that's fucking ridiculous. Looks like a photo. Yeah.

Troy:

She's you should follow her. Let's see.

Paul:

Is that Sierra?

Troy:

Cyan. Cyan. Cyan's art. There's like

Paul:

Looks like your mom.

Troy:

This is what she's doing.

Chrissy:

Wow. Well, he's a huge tattoo guy.

Paul:

Yeah. Fuck you. I love I wanna get my knuckles done. I think I wanna do slow

Chrissy:

burn. Slow burn?

Paul:

Yep. Where is she at?

Troy:

She's in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She's really she just got her license about six months ago. She not her. She literally she's already fucking

Paul:

killing it.

Chrissy:

She's badass, dude.

Paul:

Dude, that's gangster as fuck.

Troy:

So I don't have to she's 25. I ain't gotta worry about her anymore. Fuck no. She got it going.

Chrissy:

You is that your oldest? Yeah. Alright. And then how old are old ones?

Troy:

Twins are they'll be 23

Chrissy:

Twin boy and girl. That.

Troy:

Yeah. Twin boy and

Chrissy:

girl. Okay.

Troy:

Kale and Kalia.

Chrissy:

And they're how old?

Troy:

They'll be 23 in July.

Chrissy:

Oh, so do you are they all out of the house or they still

Troy:

I want Kalia's at home with us, but she's, like, she's the one that just doesn't know what she wants. She's up here with me. She's at Friendly's

Chrissy:

I knew you brought one daughter. I didn't know which one.

Troy:

Yeah. Oh. They I love them, man. I mean

Chrissy:

So we're gonna try our cardless. It's an Americana Backyard Bliss variety pack. Comes in a eight can variety pack, ready to drink. Comes in strawberry, cherry, apple, and grape. So we're this is cherry, Matt?

Chrissy:

Yes. Okay. We're gonna try the cherry. So have you had a carblers before?

Troy:

I have not.

Paul:

They are very popular here in New And they're not as bubbly usually.

Troy:

What is it? Like a Like a white vodka.

Chrissy:

Vodka in a can. Vodka cocktail. Oh, this is good.

Troy:

Yeah. I like that.

Chrissy:

Tastes like a jello shot. That's it. Don't it?

Paul:

It tastes so good.

Chrissy:

Tastes like a jello shot.

Troy:

Tastes like bad decisions.

Chrissy:

Yeah. Right?

Paul:

Tastes like you're gonna be racked in about four fucking

Chrissy:

hours. What

Paul:

other flavors is there?

Chrissy:

There's apple, grape, and strawberry. Which one do you wanna try?

Troy:

I don't care.

Paul:

I would say mix apple with like strawberry or something.

Chrissy:

Mix it. Yeah. We're not going that far.

Paul:

Let's do it. Try it.

Chrissy:

I don't want ew, apple? Apple Is it sour apple?

Paul:

Is it like green apple? Oh, no. Fuck I that

Chrissy:

don't know. Yep. No. Let's do grape.

Troy:

Grape.

Paul:

I bet this is gonna take

Chrissy:

We like grape. Grapey.

Paul:

Yeah.

Chrissy:

Well, that's what it is, isn't it? It's I

Paul:

don't know. We used to get pictures of them at fucking In Duluth? For $5 when we lived in Duluth. You could get

Troy:

a yeah. Picture of

Paul:

Right? When fucking it was reasonable to go out and drink?

Troy:

Is your distributor is McDonald's distributing come here?

Chrissy:

No. Oh. No.

Troy:

I worked for them just

Paul:

Are they Miller?

Troy:

No. They're Bush. I mean Oh, Budweiser. We have CNLR.

Paul:

Oh, is crap. Yeah. Fuck.

Chrissy:

Alright. Here's the great carbless. Poop poop.

Troy:

Cheers. Oh

Paul:

my god. Yeah. Numb. Dude, fuck. These are

Troy:

so That's good grape. Yeah.

Chrissy:

Delicious. I don't know. I'm a carb less fan. Love it. I don't I've never had one that I've not

Troy:

Carb less. So you mean it's zero carb, that's it? Correct. Okay.

Paul:

And it it doesn't have that fucking bubbly

Chrissy:

No. It's not it's a

Paul:

carbonation that Yeah. Fizzes up and you can drink like three and then burp for four fucking They

Chrissy:

are amazing. Yeah. Delicious. I give them a 10.

Troy:

That's what want. They're really

Chrissy:

good. Yeah. Delicious.

Paul:

Those flavors are good. Very good. If I didn't drink beer, that's probably what I drink. That shit is fucking bomb.

Chrissy:

I know a lot of beer drinkers have switched to either White Claw or Carbless because they

Troy:

Just because Less calories.

Paul:

Pussies.

Chrissy:

Pussies. Whatever.

Paul:

I'm just kidding. They lost weight. They need to lose weight. Yeah. Whatever fucking gets the fucking needle moved, I guess.

Chrissy:

And

Paul:

it fucking tastes good, so fuck it.

Chrissy:

Well, we kind of already hit on the Minnesota Rusco jingle. Was that a good bunny maker for you?

Troy:

Yeah. I mean, just the one off production producing.

Paul:

But they but it played forever.

Troy:

Yeah. It ended up it ended up starting a relationship with a company where I did multiple jingles, you know, some for for Dallas, for Kansas City, for Minneapolis. What

Chrissy:

do you mean for Dallas and Kansas City?

Troy:

Like Like companies down there.

Paul:

Oh, companies.

Troy:

Like Okay. Woodbridge Exteriors was one down in Dallas.

Chrissy:

So if you do one like Minnesota Rusco and then somebody hears it, like, is that kinda how the ball gets rolling?

Troy:

Like a marketing company. I do it for them. Okay. Then they then they do the work? Yeah.

Troy:

They'll reach out and say, hey. We got a company, and, you know, Kansas City does siding. Can you do a jingle for them? And

Chrissy:

You mentioned when we first started that you were doing because you said graphic design. Did you go to school for that?

Troy:

Yeah. I

Paul:

did. You did? Okay.

Troy:

That's so that's what I

Chrissy:

kinda there is the artistic

Troy:

I worked for ten years in a paint booth here down in Rogers Yeah. Driving down 169.

Chrissy:

With Randy. Yeah.

Troy:

Yep. And then I finally I mean, I remember I just got so pissed, came home, said, I'm done. I gotta go get smart. You know?

Paul:

Probably ended up with this store.

Chrissy:

But yeah.

Troy:

Yeah. And I went He's a working Rogers. I was I was always a little bummed that I left my parents feeling like they had a dropout. You know? Yeah.

Troy:

And so they were really proud and were able to attend the my graduation. So that was 2,000. Okay. But I went to Globe University.

Paul:

Yeah.

Troy:

Got a graphic design and learned web design, and kind of a neat story was that. It was, like, I was into HTML web design program. Yeah. That's what I wanted to do. And the the teacher there, the maybe the dean, he's like, he could see my passion.

Troy:

He's like, hey. You know? And this is the dawning of the Internet, 09/09

Paul:

Yeah. Yeah.

Troy:

2000. And he's like, hey. You know, you're graduating here in a month, and I I wanna tell you we're we're opening up a job for we need a web designer for

Paul:

the school. School. Yep.

Troy:

So here I got I got Hired on from there. On. Didn't even have to, you know, didn't have to prove myself. It's

Paul:

like Yeah. You're like, prove it all. Yeah.

Troy:

Had 3rd Floor office on the corner of Windrow.

Paul:

Was a

Troy:

little far. Was 494 and 35 W.

Chrissy:

Yeah. That's a cruise.

Troy:

But Oh,

Paul:

that's not close yet.

Troy:

No, man. That's Snowington? Yeah. Right there on the corner. Was the Minnesota School of Business building.

Troy:

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And but, know, I gave my own office. Had a million dollar a month marketing budget.

Paul:

I would I would buy them

Troy:

ads like on Care eleven, on WCCO, which would say like, you know, successful future start here. Get your job and or get your education in Muscle and School.

Chrissy:

I feel like I remember those.

Paul:

Don't see it.

Troy:

You know what?

Chrissy:

Because they

Paul:

were all over. Yes.

Troy:

So so I I worked there for about a year, but the whole time I was not I'm not gonna be a corporate suit guy in no come away. Yeah. I'm building up clients. I built up a client base. So I had a bunch of clients throughout East Central Minnesota from home builders to real retail stores and all that.

Troy:

I'm like and even nationwide, I did some big company, like, out flowers. One of the blue screen commercials, just roll

Speaker 4:

out water.

Troy:

Yeah. And I made a deal with that.

Chrissy:

Real thing.

Troy:

I remember that. I made a deal with that company where I said, tell you what, you give me I'll do your website for free and I'll do your marketing for you, but I get half your sales. So all those spring months

Chrissy:

Did that work?

Troy:

Yeah. It'd be like $13 a month coming in.

Paul:

I feel like that would be a way better way to do it than a one lifetime I

Chrissy:

wish more people would do that. We're like because everybody nowadays that's in that business wants their money up front and all, you know.

Troy:

Well, now you don't need it. AI will build you the website you Right.

Paul:

Right. We were talking about that earlier. AI. Oh my god. All the shit you can do with AI, I mean, you don't

Troy:

I'm not kidding. I don't need

Paul:

anybody. You don't need anybody go to school for can't even Yeah. Well, that's what we were talking about too.

Troy:

That's on my list. Is it? Yeah. So, yeah, I did the graphic design. I I really excelled, made great money between 2000 and about 2008 after the housing market crash crashed.

Troy:

A lot of my companies were concrete companies, roofing companies. Weren't paying me because they weren't getting

Chrissy:

paid. Yeah.

Troy:

Then that was all kind of things defining my future because I'm like, you know, I hate I'm not a service person and, you know, like, kiss some people's ass. I can do it. Then Sure. But but I'm like, I need to find a way to make music work. That pushed me into that TV production music, like, trying to like, I had tracks when we were talking about MTV.

Troy:

I mean, it was like I mean, everything from toddlers and tiaras to I'm trying to I don't have a page yet. It's not

Paul:

online. I was just gonna say, like, all the shit you listed stuff

Troy:

on there.

Paul:

It's like literally everything everybody Yeah. Like watches or

Troy:

reality shows, you know?

Chrissy:

Sure.

Troy:

From the the live I've watched fucking TV. Watch.

Paul:

Yeah. Was just gonna say, basically seen every one of

Troy:

those or whatever,

Paul:

you know?

Chrissy:

So what is harder to write in your opinion? A commercial jingle, which they aren't usually that long, or like a emotional song?

Troy:

For sure, the emotional song. The jingles are pretty easy. You just kinda gotta make catchy and Yeah. Then have a good little hook there.

Paul:

Hook at the end? Yeah.

Chrissy:

Yep. It's catchy. That's the catchy thing. You know, it's

Paul:

Some that some that's It's usually annoying as fuck. Yeah. Some that sticks in

Chrissy:

your head. But it sticks.

Paul:

That's what you that's all you need is just the annoying fucking because that's the shit that

Troy:

sticks in think your fucking head. Think of this, and I think I think it was Justin Timberlake was part of this, but

Paul:

I'm loving it.

Chrissy:

What is that? I

Troy:

know. McDonald's. Yeah. I mean, it's five Yeah.

Chrissy:

That's McDonald's? Four, five. Yeah.

Paul:

I'm loving it.

Chrissy:

That as soon as you did it, but

Paul:

I don't know from where.

Troy:

Now they get paid because it's nationwide, you know? Sure.

Chrissy:

But

Troy:

real personal ballads are hard because, like, especially, I wrote one about my mom that she said, it's a great song. It really is great. Everybody loves to hear it. So my mom had the last four years of her life, she survived bladder cancer. She survived a stroke.

Troy:

She survived a heart attack and then another stroke, but and always all recovered where she still had her wits and Yeah. And stuff. But I came back from Tennessee to pick her up after she had a heart attack. She was at Abbott North Northwestern. And she hops in the truck, and and and she says, I'm ready to go home.

Troy:

I said, yep. That's where we're going. Bringing you home. You know? She says, I'm ready to go to the big home.

Troy:

You know? She's all depressed and wore out. I'm ready to go home. Mhmm. You know?

Troy:

She said,

Paul:

I I'm proud of my family. I I

Troy:

I I've done all the things I wanna do. I'm just ready.

Speaker 4:

She had

Troy:

lost my we had lost my dad twenty

Paul:

Sounds like my years.

Troy:

She had a mom. No. She just like I kept telling her, you know, it ain't about, you know, as you're older, it ain't you don't have to worry about a relationship being sex. It's companionship, but that is.

Paul:

You know? Yeah.

Troy:

And so, anyway, she hopped in the truck and she said that, and then she said this.

Paul:

I think I've lived long enough to say goodbye.

Troy:

You know? And I'm like and I as a songwriter, that's songwriting

Paul:

Shit that sticks in your head. Yeah. Yeah.

Troy:

Alright. Put that in

Paul:

my pocket.

Troy:

Yeah. Home. But it took me about six months to get because you get in a headspace, and then you're just really, like, porn. It's it's kinda hurting. You know?

Troy:

Yeah. And and but I wrote that song. It's truly about about her.

Chrissy:

What is it called?

Troy:

Enough to say goodbye. He

Speaker 4:

always called her his miss America. In his world, she'd always be his queen. But time took its toll till the good load took her soul. Now she's only living on memories. And she don't think about what she's gonna miss.

Speaker 4:

But I see it in her eyes. She's living long enough to say goodbye. She makes her coffee in the morning, lays out her medicine for the day. She's counting on the telephone to help her not feel alone. A little conversation can go a long, long way.

Speaker 4:

She don't think about what you're gonna miss. Checked off every item on the Booze

Troy:

You you'd probably really like it if you

Paul:

wanna hear that. I was thinking about when I'm just I can't wait to go home and fucking start googling all these songs. I'm fuck going through a lot.

Troy:

And I didn't realize it was

Paul:

It's like I drive trucks, it's like I listen to music all day every day looking for new shit. So

Troy:

I hope you hope you like it, you know?

Chrissy:

One of my favorites is the

Paul:

That's funny so bad. She says something like that because my grandma said something similar when she was at that she was 92 at Alzheimer's, and I went and seen her in the hospital last year, and she's like, I think God forgot about me or Oh, yes. Oh, there's a song. Yeah. Yeah.

Paul:

It's like, hooks like There's a song right So

Troy:

a friend of mine, songwriting friend of mine

Paul:

Feel like that is a song.

Chrissy:

It is.

Troy:

Helene Helene Cronin is her name. She just got a song on that Ella Langley's record. Big oh, fucking she's overcoming Lainie Wilson right now. Really? Huge.

Troy:

But her song was called Speaking Terms. And it's like, she's talking to God. Like, I still hope we're on speaking Oh, my God. I wrote that song for my mom. She

Paul:

got yeah.

Chrissy:

I get goosebumps.

Troy:

She got to hear it. I played it for her. Like, I couldn't look her in the eye while I was playing at a show, but I put my mom got to hear it. And Oh. Everybody loves it, like, because they love the whole story, and and it's really everybody's story when it comes to this.

Chrissy:

Yeah. Those stories behind the songs. Like, I love that.

Paul:

That's similar Yeah. It makes sense so much don't know better.

Troy:

Yeah. Yeah. It gives you gives you a reason to be interested. Yeah.

Chrissy:

Makes no sense, and I'll Google it. Like, what are they even talking about?

Troy:

And then they

Paul:

then And you're

Chrissy:

like the

Paul:

explanation. Like, oh, yeah.

Troy:

You know what's really kinda amazing? Like, I when she was on her way out, you know, I call it the slow goodbye. We ended up writing that song too, the slow goodbye. Like, I'd rather have the opportunity for me to say all these things. We all would, you know, even though it hurts after going out, we've all had tragedy too where it's like, I never got sick.

Paul:

Yeah. Yeah.

Troy:

But that was another song when my sister's son was killed in a car accident. My nephew, I'm like, I wrote a song called I just just wanted to say goodbye,

Paul:

you know.

Troy:

That was the only thing. But anyway, getting into the weeds here.

Paul:

But That's what happens.

Troy:

Playing that, my mom's on her way out doing the slow breaths and everything. We know it's coming. I'm I've got my phone. I laid it by her side. I had a playlist because I would reminisce with songs

Paul:

Yeah. My mom. Absolutely.

Troy:

Like and it'd be like, you know, raindrops keep falling on

Paul:

the bed. Yeah. Know.

Troy:

Venting blue or blue velvet, you know, and a classic. She's

Paul:

Old school.

Troy:

Yep. And on the end of that list was enough to say goodbye. And I'm not kidding. It wasn't

Chrissy:

the middle. You singing.

Troy:

Yep. It wasn't the beginning of the song. It wasn't the the middle of the song. It was the the very last strum.

Paul:

She took her last breath?

Troy:

I'm not shitting you.

Chrissy:

Fucking a.

Troy:

I am not shitting

Paul:

you. It's it's like I don't know.

Speaker 4:

It's like

Paul:

they almost fucking know or when they can just say enough's enough and it's time to say goodbye or Yeah. I've I've had or heard everything I need

Troy:

to be listening.

Chrissy:

Yeah. Wow. That's amazing. What a story.

Troy:

I am yeah. So

Paul:

Right at the end of that song, that's fucking insane.

Troy:

Think that made her pretty happy.

Chrissy:

Well, yeah. No. Was that her first time hearing it?

Troy:

No. That's what I'm saying. She had her she

Paul:

She had heard it. Several times. Was like her heart was content and

Troy:

she's like, oh, look look at mom. I I wrote this song from something you said.

Chrissy:

She said, I said that?

Troy:

I'm like, yeah. You said

Paul:

all that.

Chrissy:

So my mom just passed in

Troy:

February Yeah. Sorry about that.

Chrissy:

Things. And so she was on her, you know, her her bed, you know, her deathbed or whatever. Yeah. But she wasn't gone yet. And she hadn't opened her eyes in, five days.

Chrissy:

Yeah. But she could still hear us. Like, I knew that she could hear us because once in a while, she was able to speak, you know, somewhat or whatever. She didn't talk, but she could mutter some words out or whatever. Yeah.

Chrissy:

And so I thought like I mean, for five days, I thought she was like gonna golf. Yeah. Then she was she'd make it another day and another And so I kept asking her because my dad had passed away in 2015. And I was saying, do you see dad yet? And she goes, no, not yet.

Chrissy:

She's like, not yet. And within my my sister had flew in from Florida and my sister had stayed with her. And my sister was telling her, you know, mom, it's okay to go. You you know, it's okay. We'll we'll all be fine.

Chrissy:

You don't have to worry

Troy:

about any of us.

Chrissy:

We are gonna be fine. And she goes, when you're ready, you know, just go.

Troy:

They need to hear that too. Yeah. My mom. Yeah.

Chrissy:

This is totally my mom. I'll never be ready.

Troy:

Oh, really? Yeah.

Chrissy:

I'll never be ready is what Booze said. And I feel like that's why she held on

Paul:

for so long. Just no. Yeah. No. I ain't going back.

Paul:

That was kind of my mom

Troy:

those last three days. It's like we're all saying, hey, it's okay, you know, like Yep. You're ready. And it's it's

Chrissy:

She's like, no, I'm not ready.

Troy:

Yep. And they just fight and fight. Yeah.

Chrissy:

She would she's flat outside. I'll never be ready.

Troy:

Yeah. If

Chrissy:

we just had to push her.

Paul:

I'd be like fucking him out of here. Bye. Gosh.

Chrissy:

I don't know.

Paul:

Make sure the beer is cold on the other side.

Chrissy:

You know, I just don't because I know what's waiting for me on the other side, I feel like I have no fear of death.

Troy:

I don't either not.

Chrissy:

I don't wanna burn it out or drown or anything like that. I wanna do what my mom did. Peaceful in

Troy:

my sleep.

Paul:

Right? That's the fucking dream.

Chrissy:

Hopefully, that's the way we all wanna go I

Paul:

feel like I'm gonna die in a fucking fiery car. No. No. No.

Troy:

I don't know if I wanna Just my problem. Tell I'm a burden to people.

Chrissy:

No. No.

Paul:

I don't.

Chrissy:

I know I don't.

Troy:

I don't wanna

Chrissy:

be That's kinda why I take all the vitamins I do and work out

Paul:

the way I do. Oh, fuck. Gotta start doing that shit.

Chrissy:

I watched my mom, you know, who never worked out. Who never fucking

Paul:

trash panda.

Chrissy:

Incorrectly.

Paul:

Yeah.

Chrissy:

Like, she was way overweight her whole life. Like, no. I don't wanna I don't wanna be that person either.

Troy:

Yeah. But

Chrissy:

let's talk about this one's on me.

Troy:

This one's on me. Great.

Chrissy:

Stop. I heard no. I don't know if this is true or not. $30,000 for the Minnesota military, did it raise?

Troy:

Oh, no. It's about 70,000.

Chrissy:

70,000. Wow.

Troy:

It's even better. Not just that song, but Bob FM Bob's Country. Yep. They put together a compilation CD every year that has military tribute songs on it, and then they sold those at, like, Cub Foods.

Paul:

A great

Troy:

show, by the way. Thank you.

Paul:

They See, like, an idea. I invited, and I know about AUDIO.

Troy:

So fun. And then

Speaker 4:

And don't think that I take for granted the promise of freedom you've defended without ever asking me for one damn thing.

Troy:

They sell that CD at Cubs Foods, it and the sales go to mill Minnesota Military

Paul:

That's fucking badass. Yeah. It's even more badass than it's just

Troy:

like There's

Chrissy:

a really good link.

Paul:

Military in the

Troy:

in Minnesota. You should be rolling that in here. It's like like it's what the story is just like, you know, thank yous

Paul:

Have a drink, Ali.

Troy:

Not enough. Like, yeah, let me. This one's on me.

Paul:

Yeah. Kinda like video, by the way.

Troy:

Did the one with me going like, that was AI. Did you notice that?

Chrissy:

No. I didn't.

Paul:

Where I

Chrissy:

You're buying the guy sphere? That's AI. Yeah. That's AI.

Paul:

No? See? That's what I'm saying.

Chrissy:

You look like you.

Troy:

I know. I uploaded a photo of me and then Yeah. I think I did a profile. I think I go went like that.

Paul:

Then So, like, half the time, you don't know if that shit's there or not.

Chrissy:

No. I mean, it was it's cool.

Troy:

Did you ever see my my promo videos for I only dance when I'm drunk? Yes. Like, that's that's not

Speaker 4:

me either.

Chrissy:

That's not you.

Speaker 4:

Okay. That's

Chrissy:

not That's

Paul:

That's That's That's not how AI. Yeah.

Chrissy:

Laughed my ass off because I was like, look at Troy.

Paul:

Sounds like me. I only dance when I'm drunk.

Chrissy:

Yeah. That's all of us probably.

Troy:

Yeah. Right? Like it takes a few cocktails before I'll That's

Chrissy:

totally AI.

Troy:

That's funny. Were, yeah. Like, I'm I'm kinda I'm not embracing it, but I'm like, gosh. If I don't have to, like, you know, get go to a bar and set up some cameras, it's like, I'll I'll do that shit. Right.

Troy:

I hate it, but, you know, the whole AI thing's man.

Chrissy:

It's good and it's bad. I mean, I understand both sides of it. So what and

Troy:

really shirt I have a shirt design that I I haven't designed, but it's kind of you know, the drama masks where you got the happy and sad face? Yeah. You know, like the comedy tragic comedy? But I have this shirt. It says this, every morning, I remember why I shouldn't drink.

Troy:

Every night I forget.

Paul:

Oh, that's a good one. Totally true.

Troy:

Like, you know, how

Chrissy:

many mornings You need that one.

Paul:

How many mornings do

Troy:

you go, like like and don't yeah. Don't steal my idea. I'm million.

Paul:

Better fucking print it before this airs because someone I guarantee you is gonna print that motherfucker the next day.

Troy:

I I I will. I have it designed. I just haven't ran them yet.

Paul:

You better fucking get on it. Pitter patter. Yeah.

Troy:

You go like, I ain't never drinking again. And come five Yeah. O'clock, it's like, hey.

Chrissy:

Did that every fucking day in New Orleans. Yeah.

Paul:

Oh my god. And then every

Chrissy:

day we'd be like, we're not drinking today.

Troy:

The way the masks are is like, you know, the Yeah. And then the other one, I'll

Paul:

have you. Yeah. Yeah.

Troy:

It's funny.

Chrissy:

I like that. So what made you write this song? This one's on me.

Troy:

Oh, so so I got together with American Idol finalist. He put it out first, then I did my version, but his name's Cody Clayton Eagle. Me and another lady, Nancy wrote the song. And I'm driving to this is what happens. You get in the car, I'm going to the right.

Troy:

I got my writing appointment. And and I'm I'm just, like, thinking about it might have been around the July 4 or something. I don't remember, but I just thought, like, you know, maybe I heard something on the radio. Something triggered me to think, like, you know, everybody says thank

Paul:

you for

Troy:

the veteran, but they really don't ever do anything.

Paul:

They don't do anything. Right.

Troy:

And and I wanna They buy their poppy or whatever. Song where it's like we could say from the stage to a whole bar full of people. If you're sitting next to a vet, buy him a drink

Paul:

Right.

Troy:

And have an anthem to it kinda.

Chrissy:

It's a cool song. And then cool song.

Troy:

And then, yeah, if you see that video that I made up for in that you see that big courthouse behind me? That's the same courthouse for try that in a small town with Jason L.

Chrissy:

C. It? That's my town.

Troy:

In Nashville? It's the same courthouse

Paul:

in the building. Okay.

Troy:

Sure. It's in Columbia.

Paul:

Columbia. Yeah. Okay. Isn't that over by where you said you live. Right?

Troy:

Yeah. So, yeah, I'm I'm outside of the city, like Like a suburb? Yeah. Okay. So I'm out of the city, kinda like, you know, Forest Lake first to the city.

Troy:

So but that town. And what was kinda cool too other than the Bob thing was when it when the original version that coat Cody put out, it aired at a big air force event with, like, 20,000 people. Sure. Know, he just broadcasted it.

Chrissy:

But Yeah. It's a really I think was song. Yeah.

Troy:

I think it was used for some local TV commercial in his in Virginia where he lives too, his version.

Chrissy:

Cool. Yeah. Now do you wanna get paid for that? Because you own you obviously own the rights. You wrote it.

Troy:

That one was just a royalty thing. We could collect the broadcast royalties.

Paul:

So how does that shit work? Like, you were talking, right, where you a producer wanted to produce your music and give you a bunch of money upfront and then a bunch of money to write songs. Right? But it's like you don't own that versus where, like if you were an independent, like say, like Tom McDonald or like.

Troy:

A Tom McDonald. Yeah.

Paul:

Or like Calhoun or someone like that. Like, how what's the difference between those? Because I feel like if you go the route of a producer, you're gonna make fucking bank, but you're kind of like

Troy:

Well.

Paul:

They own the rights, but if you do it independently, you don't make as much,

Speaker 4:

but you own Yeah. The rights, you

Troy:

So how does how Well Like, kind of so I've never had

Paul:

that or break that up. I like

Troy:

There's multiple things, like, there's different rights about that. For everything. There's, like, there's there's a writing right. Like, if I wrote the song, I'm the writer. I own the authorship.

Chrissy:

Right.

Troy:

Then there's a publishing right. That's the other half of fuck. So that means, like, I own all my own publishing. Yeah. That's the valuable side.

Troy:

That's why

Paul:

The publishing is the valuable side? When I

Troy:

when I when I wrote for a publisher, like, it's a higher gig. You write songs, and they keep you publishing for

Paul:

the most part,

Troy:

which I don't like that deal because Right. Right. That's where the money's made.

Paul:

Right? It's like you're the one that fucking created it, so why don't

Troy:

you keep it? Well, because they're the ones that will get it cut for you and they're the ones

Paul:

that push it. Yeah. So that's you make the money.

Troy:

And they

Paul:

do all the paperwork

Troy:

and the deals, so

Paul:

they That's go basically why people who have record deals make money because they fucking push the music, right?

Troy:

Yeah. Well, was the whole Taylor Swift thing,

Paul:

you know.

Troy:

Exactly. Somebody owned all the, so that's Yeah. There's a there's a third right.

Paul:

Is she trying to

Troy:

That's the master recording. Who owns that recording? Well well, just a perfect example, Big Machine owned every one of those recordings of Taylor Swift's.

Paul:

Right. Right.

Troy:

Or at least most of it. I don't know what their deep end deal is, but but basically, that's when she said, well, if you won't give me my record if I can't buy my recordings back, I'm gonna go cut re she cut recut all of those So now she owns her own

Chrissy:

And that's legal to do?

Troy:

Yep. There's two sets of masters for the same song. She appreciates what she owns now. You know? That's That was smart business plan was gonna say that

Paul:

tricky What smart does it take to like recut something like that? Is it

Troy:

Probably for her nothing because she just had she just comes in saying that she's already paid

Paul:

for everybody to read it But for you, you

Troy:

yeah, that I mean, it's kinda complicated.

Paul:

It's see, it seems complicated as fuck.

Troy:

I prefer, like, nowadays, I don't want I try to tell younger artists, like, record deals are far and few between, and they're it's like this. It's like a 10% for the arms deal, 90%

Paul:

for the record. Yeah.

Troy:

And every bit of money you spend,

Paul:

they're gonna

Troy:

take before you get paid. Yeah. So if you go like, hey. I want a helicopter in my video, man. We're gonna we're gonna do this cool flyover and

Speaker 4:

the driver

Troy:

coming. Yeah. Got it. And then the bill is $500,000.

Chrissy:

It's coming of your car.

Paul:

Yeah. It's coming out of the money you would have made if you had done it yourself.