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AJDeiboldt-The High Notes's avatar

Nice episode guys! Brad why am I not surprised that you know Matthew McCaunaghey and once sang in a choir with a murderer? 😂😂😂

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, Adam! That has the chance of being the funniest comment of the day, not gwina lie! I guess if you live long enough, and do some occasional "outsized" things, some strange things might happen! Coincidentally (ironically?) enough, Bernie was incredibly warm, friendly and welcoming to me when I joined the chorus! In less than two months, he was gone to attend his re-trial and sentencing. It's all pretty sad and tragic (for many reasons), of course, but, it's made even worse that he's got health conditions that make the hot and stifling conditions of his particular prison unit that much more punishing. He's heading up a lawsuit, I believe, against the state of Texas and/or the prison system. I think that's all on his Wiki page. But, he and I made one-half of a bitchin' quartet for that one-off Association medley (which you're able to see and enjoy, you paid subscriber, you)!😁

As it happens, I also worked a night on John Travolta's 1996 Nora Ephron-directed "Michael," which also shot around Austin. Travolta played the Archangel Michael, who somehow found his way to Earth. I was in a dance hall scene with Andie McDowell and William Hurt; they were outside, talking, and I can be seen, in the background, exiting the dance hall! Hey, you do what they tell you!

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NickS (WA)'s avatar

Seconding Brad; that's a hilarious comment.

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Kristin DeMarr's avatar

Loved it!! How fun! I definitely would have gotten the Dazed and Confused Tag immediately 😂 I’ve definitely seen the movie a lot! I love Linklater! But, I think I managed to not hear about his films after SubUrbia. Somehow never managed to see The Newton Boys or Bernie, so will have to watch those and watch for Brad’s appearances! How cool and fun!

Great job Nate!

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, Kristin! Yep, that was a great tag Nate made to the movie, "D and C"! Linklater's "Boyhood" movie was nothing short of stunning...just for the audacity to conceive of the notion that the passage of time could ADD something to his movie! And, hope against hope that none of your cast passed away in the meantime!

With that, I recall reading that he would only shoot what he needed, quickly, in a short amount of time, every year, so as to more adequately account for everyone's otherwise busy show-biz schedule! What a commitment for the actors to make from the get-go, too...that Richard's "little experiment" here, wouldn't interfere with their careers! What a vote of confidence, and ultimately, what an artistic pay-off!

I was at Austin's annual November Book Fair in the streets around the Capitol a decade ago, and saw Linklater and Ellar Coltrane signing books (I guess relating to "Boyhood") behind a table. As for "The Newton Boys" and "Bernie," Kristin, I don't think either film was widely-seen, generally. During my 4 years teaching elementary (4th and 5th grade math, two years apiece, 2008-'12), I made a highlight video of clips from the movies I've been in! I'd show it to each class at the end of each school year!

I actually got my movie start in '76 (at 21) when I was doing commercial FM rock radio in Baton Rouge, LA. A TV movie, "The Life and Assassination of The Kingfish" (starring Ed Asner as the '30s-era governor of Louisiana, Huey Long, having just finished "The Mary Tyler Moore Show") rolled through town for several weeks, and I landed the role of one of Long/Asner's bodyguards! I'd work all day on set, then trundle into the radio station in time for my 7-midnight daily shift! One could ONLY do that at 21!!! Here's that story:

https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/ed-asner-as-huey-long-1976-on-location?utm_source=publication-search

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Nate Miller's avatar

Linklater is among my favorite few directors, right there with Hitchcock, Spielberg, Fincher

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Brad Kyle's avatar

He’d be thrilled you’re placing him in such august company!

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Nate Miller's avatar

Thank you!

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🅟🅐🅤🅛 🅜🅐🅒🅚🅞's avatar

A+ loved the mixed bag. Zep>Foghat>Motown. Were some favorites in here today. Thanks Nate, and Brad!

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Nate Miller's avatar

Very welcome. It was fun.

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, Paul.....glad you liked! Nate had a nifty selection of tunes he brought along!

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Michael Elliott's avatar

Another great Tune Tag!

In this one, I discovered that the Nick Jameson from one of my favorite shows of the last couple of decades, '24,' and the Nick Jameson who lays down one of my favorite breakdown bass lines ever on Foghat's "Slow Ride" are the same guy. Also, that Brad was in a breakout quarter with Bernie the subject of a movie that I absolutely adored.

The wonders of Front Row & Backstage never cease!

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thank you so much, Michael! What a flattering testimonial (and a slam-dunk t-shirt)!

As with every Tune Tag, the one song that follows another (and another after that) all depends on the heart, musical brain and soul of our guest!

To discover that Jameson was in a band called The American Dream shocked me--I had no idea he had a musical life prior to Foghat (and, certainly had no idea what he'd been doing the last half-century)! Then, I started peeling back that astounding career onion, and like you, my jaw fell!

As for Bernie, I had no awareness of the 2011 Jack Black movie, so, when meeting Bernie 5 years later, and hearing his first-hand story (and he never mentioned the film), I'm glad I was blissfully ignorant. I would've hated to have said (or, have been tempted to say) something like, "Oh, YOU'RE the guy Jack Black played in that movie?!? I loved that movie!!" Mortifying embarrassment is about the best outcome for him, certainly, and probably me once I "got ahold" of myself!

But, to have the several weeks of enjoying singing together (especially in that Association medley), and only THEN (after he was re-tried and re-sentenced in spring of '16) seeking out the rental of the film...well, I'm just glad those were two completely separate experiences. And, it just saddens me that his "debt to society" has to be paid in such apparently dreadful conditions.

Thanks again, Michael!

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Michael Elliott's avatar

A fascinating turn of events for sure!

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NickS (WA)'s avatar

I enjoy how widely this one travels; fun to feel the sense of experimentation.

Reading it, I do wonder if that's easier to appreciate for us as readers than it might have been playing it (when neither of you knew what the other was thinking) it looks like there were a couple of cases where you went in different directions, perhaps not intentionally.

I knew the name "Less Than Jake" (but Better than Ezra?) but hadn't heard that song. Now I'm curious, there's a CD I picked up from a discount bin called "The Science Of Making Choices" (2013); I wonder if there's any connection in the titles. (they aren't similar musically; the song containing the title phrase is this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYciSxDZj2s&list=RDHYciSxDZj2s&start_radio=1 )

The Yardbirds come across as really young in that clip -- or at least musically still figuring out their sound. It's fun to listen to.

The Dazed and Confused tag is great, and kudos to Brad for admitting that one got past him.

Something sounds familiar in the American Dream song, but I haven't been able to place it yet, I'll see if I can figure that out.

The Boyz II Men is pretty fun. At first I thought, "this hasn't aged well, but then it picked up and won me over."

I will just say, for all of the Soul cities mentioned, nobody went with Soulsville USA -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stax:_Soulsville_U.S.A.

Thanks guys.

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Nate Miller's avatar

Great feedback Nick. This was a lot of fun, and I was definitely trying for a deeper dive on my first song choice with Less Than Jake, figuring it would be an introduction to the band/song for most readers. I'm a millennial, so the Boyz-II-Men was an easier pull for me.

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NickS (WA)'s avatar

Heh; I'm on the younger end of Gen-X, but my musical tastes probably skew 15 years older than I do :)

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Nate Miller's avatar

I feel you there. I'm with the older Millennials (1985), but my tastes are all over the map. Boyz-II-Men Evolution was one of my first ever CD purchases with my own allowance when I was around 12, 13

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AJDeiboldt-The High Notes's avatar

That Cooleyhighharmony record was the first album I ever bought with my own money I think

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thank you, Nick....I think you're right (first paragraph): It's definitely a different ride playing it than reading the final product...and, certainly fun doing both!

Better Than Ezra would've been a great dove-tail to Less Than Jake! Sort of like my description of our swarm of ending groups, here, as Proper Names & The Common Nouns! I like that link to and from "The Science"s....

I went back and listened to the American Dream song, and nothing struck me as particularly familiar.

And, you're right about Stax! A glaring oversight! Good call!

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Steve Gabe's avatar

Another Todd tidbit! But the real revelation here is the Linkletter link. Say no more, always the most interesting stack post in town. I'm floored at every turn and the Yardbirds into Foghat twist leading right to alright alright alright...Also, back on the boards with the Bard for Sonnet Fest Aug 1/2 @ Greensboro Cultural. Booked it! OK here's the pitch for RL... Lost in Austin... the movie, you in?

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Brad Kyle's avatar

There's a "Lost in Austin" movie? Thanks, Steve! It's cool hearing what grabbed you in these things!

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Steve Gabe's avatar

I'm writing the book now. You can read a few random chapters here: https://open.substack.com/pub/lostinaustinbook?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=14weym

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