Unplugged with a music fan (Podiatrist, Dr. Tommy C)

Tyler: [00:00:00] Welcome to Unplugged with Tyler Winters and Jon Pearman. I'm Tyler Winters. Jon Pearman is here. 

He's right over there. this 

is a new type of bonus episode. 

you guys may have heard me. Try to promote this in the past, I guess, uh, you know, the call the pod feature.

we haven't talked about it in a while, but after we had talked about it, we had some people sign up, 

to come onto the podcast and 

we're going to do one of those shows. And this is just where we talk to fans of the music scene and get to know them a bit more as fans of music and maybe what they do for a living.

So we're all getting kind of get to know each other. our first guest today is Tommy, uh, 

full 

John: on, hol hold on, I think he's gonna be calling in here.

Tyler: Oh, okay.

John: Oh, hey, Tommy. 

Tyler: hey,

Tom: Hey, Hey, hello guys! It's good to see you. 

Tyler: Um, real quick, before we get going, though, full [00:01:00] disclosure, Tommy is a supporter of this podcast. and if anybody's interested in supporting the show, there's a support the show link in the show notes.

But not only is he a supporter of the show, He's my actual foot doctor, which we'll get into. he's also been a lifelong friend of John and mine. we grew up together. We went to Catholic grade school together. Maybe we can even talk about that. 

Tom: Oh, man.

John: Huh. 

Tyler: Tommy went to high school together, Catholic high school together.

Uh, 

and, uh, Tommy is a fan of the music scene that we talk about, and that's really why he's here. We're going to talk about some music, but we want to get to know Tommy a little bit more. We know Tommy pretty well, but we want you guys to get to know a fan of the scene. So Tommy, welcome to the pod. And first Tommy, is it okay if I call you Tommy?

Because I've called you 

John: I'm going with Tom.

Tom: You 

know what? 

Tyler: Yeah, let's hear 

Tom: uh, clearly everyone calls me Tom now, [00:02:00] but you can tell a friend from a long time ago

that will reference me as 

Tommy. So, you know, of course, you're, you guys are friends for a 

long 

time. I allow it. 

Tyler: All 

John: If only there was something in between the two. There just really isn't.

Well, I could 

Tom: drag out the M. Yeah, Tom 

John: with two M's. Tom.

Tyler: Tom.

Tom: H in there just for, you 

know, to 

be fancy. 

Tyler: Okay.

Tom: That's a 

European, 

Tyler: um, uh, and also before we get started, as I mentioned, Tommy is a foot doctor, a podiatrist. Um, Tommy, I am going to have to make an appointment with you. Again, um, 

can I make that appointment now or should we do this off air?

Tom: Yeah, let me, let me scoot this over and 

we'll 

John: in poor taste. 

Tyler: All right, and John, I don't know how we want to start this show because it's basically our first one, but, uh, you think we should just ask Tommy about, like, how he became a podiatrist and all that?

John: I want to know. 

Tyler: Okay, so, okay, 

John: I'm assuming there's some schooling.

Tom: there, [00:03:00] Yeah, 

Tyler: become a podiatrist? How did you even figure that that's what you wanted to do?

John: And how does one feel about the metric system when they're a podiatrist?

Tyler: And 

Tom: become very familiar with the metric system. 

So, feet are in the, you know,

that's true, that's a good point. 

Oh man, 

John: I thought about that all day how to work that in.

Tom: how am I going to come up with a pun for this? That's perfect, well done.

John: Thank you. 

Tom: I don't have that great of 

John: See you 

guys. Enjoy the rest of this

show. 

Tom: Okay, George Costanza. 

Um, yeah, exactly. Um, yeah, so, 

schooling for it. There's a lot of school. It is four years of undergrad. I do four years of med school. Um, technically we're kind of like dentists in that we have our own school, but I went to school alongside med students. So, I mean, I still had full body cadavers.

I still had full anatomy classes and, you know, [00:04:00] took a lot of the same classes, just the extra focus on feet. 

Um, so four years of med school and then I did a three year residency. So that's what trains us surgically and gets us used to seeing clinic patients and things like 

that. 

John: you go in into undergrad knowing you wanted to do podiatry or is that something you'd figured out along the way that that that was which way you wanted to go?

Tom: So we kind of figured it out along the way. I thought

possibly, you know, something in the med field. I didn't know exactly what. Uh, this is where the story takes a turn. I don't know if you guys know this. A cousin of mine would volunteer at a haunted house. 

And he was like, dude, you should come out here and, you know, help us out this haunted house and we, you know, do the decorations and scare kids and, you know, things like that.

So I said, okay.

Tyler: this is the J. C. 's haunted house?

Tom: No.

this is, this is the Boo Crew, the Boo Crew one in 

Rochester. 

Tyler: right. Okay. 

All right. 

Tom: It's run by a podiatrist. So I met him [00:05:00] and started talking to him and I thought, oh, that's interesting or whatnot. I said, yeah. I started shadowing him. Everything seemed interesting up until the point when one of the patients had to have all their nails removed. so it numbed them up and that was, you know, sticking needles in toes was like uh. And they just took a needle holder and just popped it off. I was like, 

oh my 

gosh, 

it's getting hot in here. 

Tyler: Oh my God.

Tom: So they're of the horror, the haunted house?

That was scarier than anything at the haunted house. Well, barely. Um, three times I'd ever been grossed out. 

That time? heard that the numbing of the, the nail is one of the more painful things you

John: can do. 

Tom: It's fairly intense. Fairly intense. We had a day, speaking of which, in med school, we had a day where we just sat there and stuck needles in each other to practice how to numb 

people. 

Tyler: In each other?

Tom: Yeah, that's how we

John: Into the feet. 

Tom: Yeah, so it's like, alright, someone's got some [00:06:00] heel pain, here's where you put it. Alright, you practice on you, and then you shoot the other person up.

Tyler: wow. 

Tom: there and, you know, stick needles in each

other. 

Here's how you numb a toe. Needle, needle.

John: poof.

Tyler: Okay. 

John: Mm-Hmm.

Tom: yeah. 

Tyler: right. So you were totally grossed out by the toe removal. 

Tom: Well, I mean like, temporarily.

temporarily. But I was like, oh, okay, this is interesting. I thought, like, here's my thing. I'd never looked around and thought, like, man, what's up with that person's foot over there? Like, can I see your foot? Can you take your, like, I 

didn't 

Tyler: It's not a fetish thing. 

Tom: It's Not a fish. It's not a fish thing, but it's not like they ever grossed me out.

If someone, like, stuck a foot in my face, I'd be like, whatevs, dude. It'd be like the same as sticking a hand in my 

face. So 

I think this is 

right. 

Tyler: fair enough, 

Tom: Yeah.

John: I've always felt I would make a good nurse because I'm really good with like fluids don't bother me like if somebody vomits around me I'm like, hey,

whatever. 

Tom: There you 

go.

John: I 

Tyler: yeah. 

John: I missed a [00:07:00] calling. 

Tom: You know, what's the thing? 

Tyler: and you have to clean that up?

John: No

problem. 

Tom: I mean, well, that's also why I'm a podiatrist because I don't have to do that 

shit. Literally.

John: Mm 

Tyler: yeah. 

so, how long have you been a podiatrist then?

Tom: Technically, you're a podiatrist when you graduate school and start residency. 

So the clock starts and for me it was 2014 so it'll be 10 years 

this 

year. Holy cow. 

John: here for each toe on a 

Tom: I know. Yeah, 

Tyler: you can count all the 

years 

John: normal pair of feet 

Tyler: yeah.

so, in those ten years, I bet you've seen some pretty bad feet. first of all, on a scale of one to ten, where do I fall, um, on that? And we can throw hip out the win it's fine. It's fine here.

Tom: You know what? I'm gonna be 100 percent honest, Ty. 

I see, I see you. I don't see your feet right now, which is a 

good 

Tyler: Okay, alright, yeah.

Tom: I mean, like, I'll be honest, I see two to five thousand toes a [00:08:00] month.

So it's 

like, I Unless I'm seeing you every I don't 

remember your 

toes, I don't remember your feet. I hate, I hate, to be, that sounds terrible.

I mean, my regulars, I get, 

you know. 

Tyler: I mean, you 

Tom: If it's super terrible, I get it. There's certain instances, things that's happened, you don't 

forget. 

Okay, I'll tell you 

this one. 

Tyler: Yeah, I wanna we wanna hear

We want to hear the things.

John: and then I'm gonna show you my terrible feet 

Tom: yeah, stick them up in the camera. Let's see how it works. 

Um, 

John: they're bad 

Tom: I did residency up in Chicago. 

It was South Side of Chicago. And I remember my first call in the psych ward. Someone had like a toenail issue or 

whatnot. 

So I go up there, this is like my first year or whatnot, and you're trying to figure things out or whatnot. Um, I go up there and there's this poor, and again, you know, I mean, I know these people aren't in of sound mind.

It's not really their, you know, their fault, but I go [00:09:00] up there and this lady's in there and I go, what's going on? She goes, my toenail fell off. I was like, it did? She goes, yeah, here. And like, she took off her sock and the toenail was clearly absent. It looked okay, so I knew everything was fine. She's like, do you need to see the toenail?

I was like, not really. And she's like, hang on. She goes back and reaches in her cabinet and pulls out her toenail. She's like, here, do you want 

this? 

And I go, yeah. I was like, no, I don't. She goes, okay. Ate it. And I was like, that's it. You're fine.

Tyler: Oh my.

Tom: to God. That was my first psych call.

Tyler: Just ate the toenail. 

Tom: Yeah, just ate the toenail. Yeah. 

Tyler: Oh,

Tom: Look up like fungal toenails or ram's horn nails or things like that. Look like that.

Tyler: nice, big, yellow, thick.

Tom: Yep. 

John: It didn't look like a plain potato chip. It looked like something more of a mesquite,

Tom: It was, it was more of like a, a couple Fritos [00:10:00] connected. You know how 

sometimes the yeah, they get Yeah, 

they clump. Yeah, that, you know, It was a 

multi frita layer. Do they taste like it too?

John: Well, let me get Beth in here, I'll ask.

Tyler: Oh, 

Tom: Yeah. 

Tyler: So that was probably your worst experience. What is, what's the, the worst feat that you've seen? Like what was, what were the conditions? What happened to the feet? What's going on there?

John: Any frostbite,

anything 

Tyler: Yeah. 

Tom: yeah. I've seen Frostbite.

Usually 

Tyler: does that turn your foot black?

Tom: Yeah.

Tyler: Oh my. 

And it never goes back. 

Tom: Yep. Yeah, just like Mr. Deeds. Yeah.

John: It's

dead. 

Tom: And as long as it's not infected, technically it's not an emergency that you have to remove it right away. So every once in a while we'll have someone that's like, no I want taken off, I think they'll go back. So we just leave it alone and tell them to [00:11:00] paint with something like Betadine, no peroxide on there. And every once in a while they'll just take off their sock and like a toe falls off with it. Eventually it just auto amputates, falls 

off. 

So they'll like, yeah, take off their sock and there's like an extra black toe in there. 

So, the fact that Mr. Deeds kept them that long is amazing.

John: Mm hmm.

Tyler: No shit. 

It just falls off. Does it 

bleed or anything? Or is 

Tom: No, cause it's like, everything's died there.

All the blood vessels have died.

Tyler: so they can't feel anything. It's just, it's 

Tom: At that 

Tyler: around extra weight.

Tom: Right. At that point, no. They can't feel anything.

Tyler: Tommy, how often do you run into frostbite 

Tom: Not a tiny Well, especially lately, it's been so 

warm out. 

Tyler: Right. Yeah. Oh

Tom: I've had one or two this year, but not very many. 

A lot 

of times it's diabetics, they can't feel, they get like bad infections. That's the biggest issue. 

Tyler: So those are the ones that you see the most?

Tom: [00:12:00] Yeah. 

Tyler: Okay. 

Tom: Especially as far as gross stuff.

Tyler: Yeah. 

Tom: You know, the bad smells, the, you know, you pop the, pop the big pustule and like, a bunch of pus spews out.

John: are there feet cysts that can

occur? 

Tom: Oh yeah, yeah, there's a couple kind of, uh, do you know, have you heard of like a bible cyst? 

John: Mm 

Tom: something called a ganglion where we all have like joint fluid in our 

joints 

and sometimes the the capsule that holds that in together weakens and forms like an outpouching like a balloon type of thing and then forms a cyst somewhere and what they used to do is take a bible and smack it to pop it. So hence, bible cyst.

John: Hmm. 

Tyler: Wow. 

Tom: but yeah, we'll we'll cut them out or we'll, you know, drain them with a needle or whatever.

Tyler: Have you ever gotten squirted with one of those pussy 

Tom: Oh, 100%. 

100%. 100%. 

Tyler: Uh. Yeah.

Tom: I, I, you learn very quickly, like, okay, so this is slightly off, [00:13:00] but when you're trimming toenails, you learn very quickly. When you're cutting, you shut up. Because sometimes like you'll be cutting and like, you know, one goes flying and you try to keep your mind and you try to put your hand over it, but it doesn't always work.

So you always shut up whenever you're trimming

toenails, but 

Tyler: yeah, I'll say 

Tom: I've caught a toenail in the mouth. I've never caught like a, puss 

pocket. 

Tyler: thank God. I think 

I'd rather, if I had to choose, it would be a toenail. 

But, uh, full disclosure, uh, as I said, for everybody listening, Tommy's my foot doctor. I have bad, I wouldn't say it's always bad, but just, I've always had a case of athlete's foot. Okay. And it's, it's, it's attacked the toenails over time.

I can get rid of it pretty easily on the skin when it flares up, but toenails are tough because like it, when it gets in the toenail, it's hard to clean out underneath there. So, um, I had Tommy actually. trim my toenails, file them down, which it 

was really cool that he has this like electric [00:14:00] filer. But, but it, uh, it, it really does the trick, but it seems like it's pretty damn messy because it pretty much, your toenails are dusting all over the place.

John: Yeah. It's like you're in wood

shop, 

Tyler: Yeah, exactly. 

Tom: So

it's almost kinda like, I have one of those, I do a clinic in Carlinville, but the one that you saw me at at my Springfield office, it has a suction there, so it takes 

some of 

that dust out of the way. The one in Carlinville doesn't have that. So I feel like half the time when I'm leaving there, like, you ever seen the War of the Worlds with Tom 

Cruise? 

Tyler: Oh my God. Yeah.

Tom: I feel like that's me when I walk in, and I like shake, and like all this like toenail dust and 

stuff. 

So it's always like, shower.

John: you're like the kid in Sandlot that's stuck up there when the sweeper

explodes. Yeah, 

Tom: Yes. Yes. There 

you go. 

That's probably a better one.

John: When Tyler's talking about that, I picture the scene in Dumb and Dumber where they're having the montage of getting ready for their big night

out 

Tom: Yes. 

John: the belt sander

out for, 

Tyler: Oh yeah. 

Tom: [00:15:00] Yeah. For Jeff Daniels. Yeah. 

Tyler: Oh my gosh.

John: and he's holding him down

Tom: That's too funny. Yep. Sometimes it feels like that.

Tyler: So Tommy, but before we get into the music part of this, 

You do do surgeries, right?

Okay, so, have you had to remove a foot?

Tom: So I usually stop as far as removal, like back by the heel. 

I've 

removed, like. three fourths of a foot before but as far as like removing the entire foot at the leg at some point that we pass 

them 

to ortho or 

someone else 

Tyler: if you're cuttin 

John: the layperson, that's nine inches.

Tom: yeah 

for the for the medical person that's uh like five centimeters whatever

Tyler: uh, um, so, if you're cuttin off, A foot, you know, before you get to the heel, how do you go about, is it sawing? 

John: Paper cutter. 

Tyler: cutter?[00:16:00] 

John: Yeah, just hold on, hold still, and then you just slam that sucker down.

Tyler: It'd be the fastest way I feel like.

John: Nice clean cut. 

Tyler: So how do you guys go about doing that?

Tom: Um, it's actually fairly unscientific. You just kind of figure out what good tissue you have and kind of draw around some flaps for 

it. 

And then, so you'll cut that and flap some of that skin back. And then we have like a saw that just oscillates and then just saw, saw, saw, saw, 

clean everything up, extra tissues, flap it together, stitch it back.

John: Nubbin to it.

Tyler: my God.

Tom: I mean, it's sad. You get like, you almost do get desensitized to it. Like I swear, if I had like a third hand and it wasn't unsterile to eat, like French fries in an operating room, I could eat some French fries while I'm sawing 

away. 

Tyler: Oh, now, how messy is that? That's gotta be pretty messy, right?

Tom: It depends. We'll normally put a tourniquet on there so it doesn't bleed [00:17:00] very much. And hopefully there's not a ton of pus and things like that, but it can get fairly messy. Every once in a while, it's the stereotypical like you see in the movies where it's like blood everywhere 

and 

things like that. 

John: there'd be a lot of blood vessels in the foot,

right? 

Tom: Oh yeah,

John: there's a lot in the hands and extremities,

so. 

Tom: Yeah, there's a 

John: done with the blood vessels as you're cutting around

them? 

Tom: Most of the time, the blood vessels will just kind of, I mean, you try to preserve some of the more important ones, but there's a ton of small capillaries and things like that. Those you just sacrifice. Blood vessels are great about figuring out where to go afterwards. And they'll, you know, reform connections or form connections with the skin or whatnot. If you're amputating things like that, it's not as big a deal. If we're preserving, say I'm doing like a bunion per surgery or an ankle fracture, You know where they are and you just kind of move them out of the way.

John: okay.

Tom: Yeah. 

Tyler: Wow. 

Tommy, I would not want to have your job. I know 

Tom: It's boring. 

Tyler: It sounds [00:18:00] pretty entertaining. Uh, 

pretty exciting to, to some, but, meh. I don't think I'd be able to be chopping off any part of anybody. And I 

really wouldn't want to see feet though, honestly. Just,

John: I could have been in the tent just, we're taking it. I

Tom: and 

just 

cut that 

one's leg 

off. 

Tyler: it's just a splinter though.

John: got shot in the other leg!

Tom: Oh 

John: Shut up! 

Tyler: We're taking it.

Tom: Just get more whiskey. He doesn't know what's going on. Cut 

both. 

Tyler: We're taking both. Uh, okay, Tommy, let's get into the music portion of this. 

So first tell us what are, who are, I guess, who are your favorite bands?

Tom: so I try to cover, I cover a wide variety at this point. I listen to a little bit of everything. My band ever since high school has always been U2. Everyone feels different way. I'm a huge U2 fan. Um, but I, I mean, I love Metallica and Slipknot [00:19:00] and I love Green Day and Story of the Year. But I will also sometimes put on jazz and

I, you know, I love Miles Davis and John Coltrane. And, Occasionally I'm in the mood for just like soundtrack type stuff. There's a few country artists that slip in. I listened to a little bit of everything. Most of it's rock centered 

though. 

Tyler: Yeah. Yeah. That's kind of how I am too. And I will say, I'm glad you brought up, you said country, because I feel like if it wasn't for you, Tommy, I probably would not have been as into country music as I, you know, I, I sometimes go into country music phases here and 

there. Uh, like I'll listen to it for like a good two weeks straight or something like that.

But, uh, I would, I would credit you and your family for getting me into country music way back when, because we used to hang out all the time 

as grade school kids and, I'd always spend the night at your house. Your mom would always wake up early, just blare in like Clint Black, Garth [00:20:00] Brooks, you name it.

Tom: Oh yeah. Growing up, it was country and oldies. And I mean, I love oldies too. Um, we've developed a new appreciation for the Beatles. People like Simon Garfunkel, The Spinners I 

love, 

you know, whoever.

John: Rubber band man. At 

Tyler: so okay, so you said you two You didn't happen to go see him at their, uh, 

Tom: I did. You did 

Tyler: You 

Tom: did. I was there night two. It was September 30th. So we missed out that first night, like Paul McCartney was there, Snoop 

Dogg, Lars Ulrich from 

Metallica 

was in the So it's like, ah, we missed. And who was right behind us was Chris Kattan.

Tyler: Are you 

Tom: So, yeah, so Chris Kattan was, well I guess on the plane he was there, we flew 

there together and 

he was at that show or whatnot, but like, I missed all those other celebrities and Chris 

Kattan was 

Tyler: Yeah. Well, at least you got Chris Kattan, 

Tom: yeah, yeah. 

Tyler: did you talk to him at all?

No.

Okay. Yeah. He's 

like, uh, I think he's dating somebody in Springfield. So I [00:21:00] think 

that's how 

Tom: Yeah. 

John: He shows up from time to time around town, 

Tyler: Yeah. 

I remember I was going to pick up Emily some Starbucks and I walked in. And, uh, to, to pick it up cause we had ordered ahead and I look in, I'm like, I had to do a double take.

I'm like, that's, that's Chris Kattan sitting there. Like he was just like doing work on his computer or something. I don't know. Maybe writing a comedy sketch or something. Who knows? But, uh, I thought that was completely random.

John: Well, I heard he went to the apple barn and made a hell of a mess.

Tom: Oh my god, are you

serious? 

John: Don't you remember

his 

Tom: Do tell. 

John: He'd eat the apple, all messy. 

Tyler: Oh, is that

John: Dammit, cut that part out! Yeah, no, it was this SNL stuff.

Tyler: Oh, 

Tom: Oh, okay. I 

remember he was, he was the Corky 

Romano guy, 

Tyler: Yeah, you guys want some cookies? 

Tom: yes!

Tyler: Okay, Tommy, I feel like that would have to be one of the coolest concerts you've ever seen. But just because it's in the sphere, U2 is U2, of course. They're iconic. 

Tom: Yeah. I will say, and [00:22:00] I, I mean, I don't know how much you guys have heard about any of this or whatnot. The sound there is absolutely amazing.

Like, it is ridiculously crystal clear. They had just, they just wrapped up their residency like a week ago, two weeks ago, And they replayed on their SiriusXM like the last show and like I've heard a bunch of live albums from whoever from Green Day and Metallica and other U2 ones and whatnot.

It is ridiculously crystal clear and the visuals are amazing. 

Um, I wouldn't say it's my favorite U2 concert 

though. 

Tyler: Really? Okay.

Tom: Okay, so I'll tell you this 

story 

Tyler: How many times have you seen them? Yeah, we have time.

Tom: This is, uh, that was number 

nine, 

if you count, yeah, yeah, I know. And the sad thing is, like, for a U2 fan, that's, like, a lightweight. Like, there's so 

many 

fans that they were like, 

John: the 80s, you can knock off, you

know, 30 

Tom: Yeah, yeah,

and 

that's what a lot of them were like, This [00:23:00] was my 56th show, and I saw him, like, five times, I'm like, how do you, how can you afford that? 

Like, I've probably spent a small fortune seeing them 

nine times. 

But, I mean, it's worth it, 

John: Yeah, I mean, they've been a stadium act since we were

kids. 

Tom: yeah, 

John: never had a chance to really see them in a small venue. That's probably the smallest venue you're gonna see them in, to be honest.

Tom: Well, Bono, I guess this isn't U2 proper and this counts as one of my nine. Um, Bono released a book last year, I think it was 2022, early 23, something like that. And he did like a little book tour, which was almost like a one man stage show where he would like tell a story and sing a song and things like that.

So that was in like a small venue and I was, we were like, I don't know, 10, 12 rows back 

and that was 

amazing. Yeah.

John: When you're watching U2, do you ever hope for a foot like emergency

where they're like, 

is 

Tom: anyone know a foot bot, foot doctor? I'm here. Um, No, I [00:24:00] just, I, like, I always crave, like, we try to get close enough, like, The Point, you know, you want The Point, the recognition from them. And, like, they're one of those bands that I can sing every lyric 

to. 

And so, like, you, you know, you hope that, like, they're like, oh yeah, you, you get 

it, 

you know. 

Tyler: Have you ever gotten the point or no?

Tom: No, but Tracy did, my 

wife did. 

Which, I mean, it's fine, like, I'm like, he pointed a vicinity so 

it counts, 

you know. 

Tyler: like pushed her out of the way and then gotten in front.

Tom: me?

Yeah, well, I mean, like, who's he gonna look at?

Tyler: I remember. Well, that's true. Um, I remember John Ryan and I your cousin Ryan for the people listening and Ryan is actually was the drummer in our band We went to see Green Day.

Where was that John the pageant? Was it the pageant?

John: you thinking of when we got pointed

to? 

Tyler: Yeah, well, I, Ryan and Trey Coole were like, kept sticking their tongues out at each other or something. 

John: Oh, [00:25:00] that. That would have been the pageant. Yeah, 

Tom: That's 

Tyler: was really strange, uh, but they had a moment. So,

Tom: It's always, it's nice when you can connect 

like that. 

Tyler: oh yeah, absolutely, absolutely,

John: we were disappointed we didn't get called up to it because they always bring somebody up to

Tom: Yes, that's right. 

John: day and 

Tom: So you guys weren't the ones? 

Tyler: no, I always wanted to, uh, but now, like, now that we're like 38, I think we're, we've aged out of the opportunity, 

Tom: Yeah, they usually pick younger 

people, I guess. 

Yeah, 

which makes 

Tyler: It's sad. It's 

Tom: Yeah, I know.

John: If you're wearing kiss makeup, you might get just pulled up though. They seem to pull up people wearing kiss makeup a lot.

Tyler: Really? 

Tom: That, that is something to 

know. 

I wonder if that works with you too, as well.

I don't know. 

Tyler: Maybe. What was Tracy wearing? Did she have, uh, face paint on or anything?

Tom: She did not. She did not. So one of those rare instances without face paint that people get [00:26:00] recognized.

Tyler: So, Tommy, since we're on the subject of concerts,

Tom: Mm hmm

Tyler: you got any wild concert stories? What's the wildest thing you've ever seen at a concert? Whether that's a band, whether that's a fan.

John: in the crowd, something in the parking lot. 

Tyler: Yeah.

Tom: So we, this is the first one that comes to mind We saw a Band, it's like a, they're kind of a smaller I think they'll get bigger, an Australian punk band called Ammo and the Sniffers and before them they had a guy called Bob Villain 

who 

is like a You know Bob 

Villain? 

Tyler: I've heard of Bob Dylan. 

Tom: gotcha. so they were at a small gig in Chicago and we went to see him and it's like basically a floor show and I remember right before Bob's villain set he gets up there and he's like all right everyone let's stretch or whatnot because it got crazy after that I had no idea I thought okay that's just part of his thing or whatnot. Um, Tracy Pointer out to me or whatnot. There was this lady up there that God love her. She [00:27:00] looks like she just came out of like a liberal arts class or whatnot, like very, you know, small you think benign or whatnot. And like the second the music started, she was like, you know, pushing people out of the way and she was like hardcore getting, yeah, getting at it.

Tyler: Holding her 

Tom: it was like, that's amazing. Like you never would have, like, if you would have saw her on the street, you never would have thought like she is going to be the one rumbling the most 

in that pit. 

John: big sweaty

dudes. 

Tyler: Yeah.

Tom: Yeah, exactly. 

So yeah. 

John: Yeah.

Tyler: You can never judge a book by its cover, 

John: Mm mm. 

Tom: Yeah. So you never know. But I mean, it's always fun. There's always the one guy just off to the side, you know, doing their thing or whatnot.

Tyler: Yeah. John's got a good, uh, wild story. Warped 

John: Oh yeah, I love my, uh, my favorite Warped Tour story where you're in the crowd and there's a, you know, like Warped Tour, there's dads that bring their kids, so they're kind of tucked in the back, 

let the kids go up front. There's this big, big hairy guy, [00:28:00] no shirt on, really

sweaty. 

Tyler: It was towards the end of the day.

John: Towards the end of the day, I started, I reached in my pocket, I had like four or five quarters, and I started sticking them to his back. Like flinging them from two or three people back, and I got about 75 cents stuck to his sweaty back before he realized what was going on.

Tom: Did he realize it was you?

John: I I like, I was telling Tyler, I like to think that he knew and he was just like crying, like he was really embarrassed.

Tyler: There's no way 

he 

John: really damaging. 

Tyler: Cause he, he didn't, he never looked back.

John: No, I made sure to get the coins at, you know, body temperature, so I'd hold them in my hand. Try to get them to the right

temp and then 

Tom: Just to make sure they would stick.

Tyler: Do you 

John: You want to get them a little clammy. 

Tyler: you think they like, fell off once he got in the, once he got home and got in the 

John: I'm not sure. 

Tom: I 

would like to think he had no idea. Guy in the car, and then like when he got up he was like, Oh, I 

left some change in here. 

Tyler: Who knows? He may have needed that change. 

Tom: He 

may have. You may have saved his

life. 

Tyler: [00:29:00] Maybe.

John: taken it and pumped it into the slots,

you know, 

Tom: And won like a 

million dollars or something like that. He's like, whoever threw those coins on my back, God 

John: God bless him. 

Tyler: You know what? I like to think that that's actually what happened now.

Tom: Yeah. 

Tyler: It makes a really good story.

John: I'm just glad somebody else is there, so

it's not 

like, oh, okay, you're sticking quarters to an old guy's back. 

Tyler: right next to you. So I saw the whole thing. 

Tom: Have you guys, I gotta ask 

you guys 

this speaking of concert, have you guys ever gotten like drumsticks and picks and things like that?

John: I've never caught

anything. 

Tom: You've never caught anything? 

Yeah. 

Tyler: either.

John: I remember David Birdfeld had a pick from the Savage Garden

concert 

at the fair 

Tyler: too. 

John: and he left it, he left it in the basement. I just started using it to play bass and it was really too thin to play bass and I just shredded it on,

Tyler: It 

John: on my bass. 

Tom: Did he ever like, hey what happened to that pick? And you're 

John: Oh, I don't know, man. Sorry.

Tom: That's funny.

John: I didn't mean to.

Tyler: Savage 

Tom: you didn't know.[00:30:00] 

John: Who knew Savage Garden didn't use heavy duty picks?

Tom: I would have never 

John: I don't know. 

Tom: Yeah.

Tyler: Maybe there 

John: like a heavy metal band now though. Like,

Tom: Savage Garden.

It's all in how you say it.

John: Yeah, I 

mean, if you told a kid I went to the Savage Garden show, he'd be like, Oh, rad!

Tom: Yeah. Yeah. 

John: He wouldn't know. 

Tyler: Yeah, you wouldn't know. Uh, Tommy, with how expensive ticket prices have gotten, especially over the last year and a half or so,

Tom: Yeah. It's 

ridiculous. 

Tyler: would you say is the most you'd, you have spent on a concert ticket and what's the highest you'd go?

Tom: Oh God. 

Um, 

Tyler: Ticketmaster and Live Nation are listening.

Tom: yeah, it, it, since they're listening, I would probably not go over $50.

Um, 

Tyler: 1992.

Tom: exactly.

John: Waving all fees.

Tyler: They probably weren't even that expensive in 1992, to be honest. 

John: Uh, I think for your larger

[00:31:00] acts. 

Like your big, 

Tom: Yeah. 

Maybe, I mean, like, I think like spending a hundred dollars, maybe $200 if you saw again, like Michael Jackson or 

John: Or like the Rolling Stones, I think were always that, expensive back then, 

Tom: Yeah. So, here's my thing. I've always kind of been of the, the, the thought that I can't take this money with me.

So, whatever.

There's always more to be made.

This 

is that 

like, 

I will, because there's been a few concerts that like, I was like, nah, I shouldn't go that and like I've always regretted.

Tyler: Okay. 

Tom: So, go, you know, go see the 

concert. 

Tyler: So what's the, what's your top dollar that you 

Tom: Oh God, you're gonna keep asking. 

I, I, 

was

hoping to avoid that 

Tyler: curious to know what, cause 

Tom: a single ticket or for like the 

whole, 

you know, 

Tyler: a single ticket,

Tom: Ooh, we've done 1500, a single ticket.[00:32:00] 

Something like 

Tyler: was that 

for you too? Or who was that for?

Tom: Uh, I think that was Metallica. Now, U2. It's hard to say 'cause it was a 

package, 

so it was like a hotel. And the tickets and you got like to go 

like to 

this backstage area and 

stuff like That That was the whole

experience. But again, that was our vacation in a 

way. 

and that was our first time out to Vegas.

That was our first trip away, you know, without the 

kids 

and

five years or something 

like that. 

So it's like, we'll just, 

yeah. 

John: a price on. 

Tom: Right, I mean, we spent, we only spent like 36 hours out there, but we did like the Beatles Cirque de Soleil show, which was fantastic. And went down, uh, Friedmont Street, and did the, did the gondola ride downstairs.

I mean, like, while you're there, might as 

well. 

Tyler: yeah, 

oh, absolutely, um, that's more than I'd want to spend, I 

know that. I have a problem with, and I just, I brought it up a few weeks ago on the podcast, but I'm, I'm [00:33:00] really cheap, and I'm, And I love live music, but I wanted to see Green Day in St. Louis and the tickets that I saw for sitting way back at the amphitheater, like before you get to the, uh, right in front of the, uh, the lawn.

Tom: Yeah. 

Tyler: 260 for one ticket. And I'm like, I don't know. I've seen them three times. I'd love to see them a fourth time, but I just can't justify it. I don't know. I don't know what it is. And to me, they're like the greatest live band I've ever seen play.

Tom: They are fantastic. 

I saw them on their American Idiot Tour, that was the only time. I was gonna go see them this year too, but it's one of those things like, we have a couple other concerts lined up, and it's like, I, I can't justify all of these, 

and 

now it's a priority of like, U2 and Metallica are probably like my top two, so if they're out, go see them, but otherwise I'm trying to hit bands that I've never 

seen 

before. 

Tyler: And that's what I don't [00:34:00] like about ticket prices being as high as they are because it does prevent you from seeing 

extra bands throughout the year and supporting those bands. So, and especially for like the smaller bands, like if you're going to see U2 and Metallica, you're less likely to go see, you know, Pale Waves, Stan Atlantic, or 

maybe even Story of the Year.

They're 

not as big as they once were, but you know, 

Tom: Right. 

Tyler: it, those. 

Tom: It does. It makes you kind of prioritize. If everything was less expensive, then it'd be like, yeah, let's go this, this, this, and 

this. 

As long as you can find 

babysitters. 

Tyler: Yeah. 

John: I don't 

Tom: for us 

John: everybody, but I'm too old for a festival. I'm not doing a festival anymore.

Tyler: Yeah, 

John: An all day affair, just to see one

band or

something like 

Tyler: Yeah, I feel like that's a lot of work. And yeah, I'm with you. I'm I'm too old, too lazy to to do that. It'd have to be like the right circumstances for me to do it. I don't know what those circumstances are, but 

Tom: one thing I'll be honest that I've never really got to do. And would be a bucket list to do at some point, but [00:35:00] honestly, we'll probably be like the 60 year olds after the kids have grown up or whatnot still at the concert or whatnot going to see the two day festival in the back or whatnot,

but why not? 

Tyler: I feel like I say that I'm too lazy to go, but it would be cool to experience it. I feel like going to see like, going to like Lollapalooza, I think would be amazing. Uh, you know, and it's in Chicago, it's nearby, 

John: Did you get to do Oz Fest back in the day? Tommy? Uh

Tom: It was just a lot of like single individual shows. We did do a point fest one year,

which in St. Louis, they, they have like a decent lineup. So, um, I forgot when we got there at like two o'clock and we stayed till eight or so and saw story of the Year I think was there and some 41 maybe.

Um, 

Chevelle. Yeah. Chevelle was there.

I 

forgot who else. Maybe Mudvayne. Yeah. 

Tyler: nice. All 

right. [00:36:00] Well, 40 minutes now, so 

Tom: No way. 

Tyler: you too long, but I'm trying to think, what's a good question to round out with? What about, are there any albums this year that you're looking forward to or any shows that you're looking forward to going to?

Tom: So, as far as albums, I don't know if there's anything great on the horizon. I was interested in Green Day coming 

out. Green Day was the only big thing on my horizon album wise this year. I don't see anything that's really piquing my interest. I don't really care about the headliner. We're going to go see, um, AFI is playing with 30 seconds to Mars and I don't really care about 30 seconds to Mars, but it's always been a dream to see AFI. 

So 

that'll be 

exciting. 

Tyler: Yeah, absolutely. 

Tom: otherwise, yeah, it's just always fun. Kind of like going back. And so some 41 speaking of which, like I've. I came in on Chuck and I know in one of [00:37:00] the prior episodes, John, you were like, yeah, you weren't a big fan. That was the one that I was introduced to. So I went back recently and listened to some of their older albums or whatnot. 

I'm amazed at how well they can hop between punk and metal. That's, that's 

amazing. And 

I know that's like the focus of their new album, but like, that's just fantastic how they can do that.

Tyler: Yeah, think it just goes to one, you know, they grew up on metal, So I don't even know how they got into pop punk to begin with, but they grew up on metal, so they have that aspect already. That's how they started playing.

But, yeah, to infuse all of it together, because, you know, Once you know that you can actually kind of hear it in their like pop punk songs too.

But, uh, But, the crazy thing too is like to be accepted into those different genres because they're vastly different 

Tom: Oh yeah. 

Yeah. 

Tyler: but yeah, they pull it off. Pull each one off so well.

Tom: [00:38:00] Okay. I got a question for you guys before we go though. What is one of your more, what's one of your more embarrassing concerts that you've been to that, like you may have loved, but like, again, we're all kind of like, you know, whether it's rock or scene fans or whatnot, what's one that 

like,

people

would say, like, I can't believe you've seen that.

Tyler: Okay. 

John: we went to, uh, like 98 Degrees and Christina Aguilera at the fair just to meet girls

because, 

uh, Ralph would get us in free. So,

Tom: There 

you go. 

John: I did go.

to those. Uh, 

I got, we got dragged to Dave Matthews a few times too. I'm not a big Dave Matthews

guy,

Tyler: We 

paid for Dave Matthews though 

too. 

John: so I actually paid for that. 

Tyler: Um, but Dave Matthews, I thought that was a fun concert still. Uh, I don't, I, the Christina Aguilera one. Is the one I initially thought of, but 

I feel 

John: I saw, uh, the Ninja Turtles at Six Flags when I was a kid. That's embarrassing. The From the Sewers Tour.

Tom: No, those were awesome back 

in the day. [00:39:00] Like, all 

Tyler: but you were a kid, 

you didn't pay for 

Tom: Exactly. Well, I mean, like, when you're a kid, we've all saw, like, the, whatever, Disney on Ice, or whatever on Ice, Lion King 

on Ice, 

Tyler: Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. 

Um, Yeah. I, yeah, I guess I would have to say the Christina Aguilera one. Cause I don't think I, I can't think of any that I like actually paid for, 

like 

John: I'm just embarrassed how much I sang along.

Tom: You know, some of those boy bands,

John: Yeah. It was

98 degrees in 

Christina Aguilar. 

Tyler: All right. 

Tom: Some of those like, NSYNC had some hits.

Let's 

be honest. Let's be

honest. 

Like, I mean, I know that's not 98 Degrees, but some of those boy bands, they had some hits. See, I mean, it's hard not to sing 

along. 

Tyler: Hey, you guys saw the NSYNC's back, right?

Tom: What?

John: on stage 

Tyler: Yeah, they just reunited at

JT's, uh, one of his one night special shows, and they did a, I think they did a medley of songs or something, but, 

um, 

Tom: I did not 

see 

Tyler: no, I think they're actually, [00:40:00] like, reuniting.

Tom: I 

mean, like, 

I feel like tickets are gonna go off, 

like, 

it'll be like Taylor Swift level, like, 

Tyler: Mm 

Tom: insane. 

Tyler: Except now it's, yeah, it's, I know Taylor Swift's, like, older, but NSYNC is older than Taylor Swift, and the fans are older than Taylor Swift fans, 

Tom: And we have more money 

right? Yep, people will 

pay it. 

Tyler: Yeah, I, I think they're back together.

Tom: Okay, after that, after NSYNC goes by, then we'll all agree to not go to concerts, so tickets go down.

Tyler: So, you ask me what my most embarrassing ticket is, it might be the NSYNC one. The future NSYNC ticket that I buy.

Tom: There you 

go. 

I think that's not embarrassing at all, 

like, 

John: forward.

Tom: you know, sometimes those type of shows can surprise

you.

We saw Madonna, because Tracy's a huge Madonna fan, I thought I'll go, and like back then I was like, eh, whatever. She was a [00:41:00] great performer.

Like I give it to her. She put on a great show.

Tyler: Yeah. 

Tom: Yeah.

Tyler: And now she's calling out, uh, people in, uh, wheelchairs, I guess, for not standing up. Did you guys see that?

Tom: No, 

I did not, Yeah. God love her. I think 

she's, yeah. 

Tyler: She didn't know. 

John: That was a bad 

look. 

Tom: yeah, yeah. 

Tyler: insert 

Tom: did. Again, 

Tyler: Hey, that was a podiatrist joke. That's a good one to end on.

Tom: there 

you 

go. 

Tyler: you see that? You see 

Tom: it back around. Look at 

that. 

Tyler: All right, Tommy, I think we will let you go though.

I do want to say thanks a ton for coming on 

Tom: Yeah, it was fun. 

John: You're the, you're on the Pilot episode.

Tyler: Yeah. So they'll only get better from here on out. but yeah, so for 

anybody listening, if you're interested in 

John: can't guarantee that.

Tyler: that's true. If you guys are interested in coming on, Hit up allpunkedup. com forward slash call the pod.

I really think I'm hoping that is the URL. If not the correct one will be in the show notes. So [00:42:00] Tom, thanks again. Appreciate it, man.

Tom: Yeah, it was great talking to you guys.

Tyler: See you Tom.

Tom: See you later.