Latest / The Chris and Mike Show / #160 - Don Warnock Jr. - From Prison to Purpose

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#160 - Don Warnock Jr. - From Prison to Purpose · The Chris and Mike Show

0:16
That's Dunn Warnock right there. And that's Chris Dunn and Mike.
0:24
I'm standing on the tunes, Mike. I'm going to make it sound quite
0:53
clear. Yeah, I love that song.
1:01
That was us, Don. That was Mike and I.
1:03
That was the song called Freeman.
1:05
We wrote. We wrote like 30 years ago.
1:07
We worked like 30 years ago, man.
1:09
It's still relevant today. So boys and girls, welcome to
1:13
the Chris and Mike show. This is my very good friend I've
1:14
been talking to since 2017. You know how I know that, Don?
1:18
I went to the Facebook Messenger trying to find your number and
1:21
it went all the way back to 2017.
1:26
Chris, I think it, I think it started with Skyler, if I
1:29
remember right. Probably, probably, yeah.
1:33
But yeah, so we've we 2017 man, and we met kind of via Paul
1:37
Marshall Neanderthal because he was a mutual friend of ours.
1:40
Yeah, mutual friend of ours. So yeah, welcome to the show,
1:44
Don. How?
1:44
Are you man, absolutely welcome. Thank you both.
1:47
Thank you. Yeah.
1:48
Yeah, as, as everybody can clearly see, Don's a Kansas City
1:51
Chiefs fan. Slow down with the booze.
1:53
Slow down with the booze. Yeah, I know, brother.
1:56
I know. Yeah.
2:00
So, so first time they're not going to make the they're not
2:03
going to win the division since 2015, right?
2:06
Brutal it has been. A brutal season, my friend.
2:11
I know, my God, I know. Really.
2:13
But at your expense. I made a good amount of money
2:18
because I knew the Titans were going to win that game and they
2:20
were a huge, not a huge, but they were sizeable underdogs so.
2:24
Thank you. You should have, yeah, you
2:26
should have won big, man, because they were, they were one
2:28
underdogs, correct? Yes, yeah.
2:32
And I told my dad he's my witness.
2:34
Before I left breakfast on Sunday morning, I said if I were
2:37
you, I'd take the Titans. They're going to win that game.
2:40
They have the best defense since the 85 Bears in my opinion.
2:44
Well, Bears. Yeah, the bears.
2:48
That's my team. So, so I I have, I have Patrick
2:53
Mahomes on my fantasy team and I cut him today.
2:57
Why? He's actually the one guy having
2:59
a good season. He got me 6 points man.
3:02
Six. Well, that's the last.
3:04
Game Chris Mahomes Mahomes is not the yellow gloves yellow
3:08
right he's he he's gone downhill in in fantasy like legit the
3:12
last couple two or three games he's like 11 points 12 points 6
3:16
points not as bad as Jalen hurts last night who got.
3:19
I know 1.43. So, so I was playing this guy
3:24
right and and I had the Chargers defense and I had Dicker.
3:28
The kicker, he had Jalen Hurts at the beginning of the game.
3:31
He was 98% projected to win. I ended up winning by 10 points
3:35
because of the defence and Dicker because Jalen had such a
3:39
bad game. That wasn't very happy, yeah.
3:41
It was brutal. That was very fun to watch.
3:44
And then I and I bet on the Chargers to win, so that was
3:46
cool too. So I was happy about that. 2
3:50
upsets and one weekend that was pretty.
3:51
Awesome. Yeah, I know.
3:52
Yeah, Yeah. Yeah, it was.
3:54
Yeah, something. Good thing I'm not that man,
3:57
Mike. Well, I'll tell you where, and
4:01
Chris is starting to learn this too.
4:03
You have to remember that your money is a fan of no team.
4:07
I always say my money has no allegiances, right?
4:10
It's going out there trying. I call them little soldiers.
4:13
My little soldiers are going out there trying to bring back more
4:15
troops, right? Sometimes they get massacred on
4:18
the beachfront, but the idea is for them to bring back friends.
4:25
So, so I was going to ask you something, Don, I completely
4:28
forgot. I don't know what it is, man.
4:30
No, you're fine. You're fine.
4:31
I forgot. Oh, we're wide open.
4:34
So we're wide open, Chris. Well, so so the chiefs, right,
4:38
because you've heard all the I mean, you, you heard all this,
4:40
this stuff with the referees and and the the calls, making calls,
4:43
missing calls, things like that. So, so I'm, I'm so being being a
4:48
giants fan light, right? When when, when they're playing
4:51
the Dub Bears and six guys collided on on Jackson Dart and
4:55
knocked his helmet off, concussed him and there was no
4:57
flag. I'm like, OK, what's up with
4:59
that? It was obviously, it was brutal.
5:01
Pretty obvious. There, there, right there was
5:03
one where where our guy was our kick, our kick off return guy
5:06
was running and they laid him out no flag.
5:08
So that kind of stuff like last night Barkley ripped off that 52
5:11
yard run because a dude was hugging, literally hugging A
5:16
defensive lineman and and then call it the referee at one point
5:20
in time last night's game was standing in the background when
5:24
I think it was Philly's kick returner got the ball, took two
5:28
steps forward and then a Charger guy basically grabbed his helmet
5:32
and it turned it. The referee's in the background.
5:36
Couldn't see it. Didn't call it man.
5:39
You see the helmet go this way. Yeah.
5:42
There were two same thing. There were two egregious fouls
5:46
in the Packers Bears game that weren't called, and that thing I
5:48
sent you was. Like you are correct.
5:50
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw the highlights on that,
5:52
yeah. So, so where I'm going with
5:54
that, Mister Don Warnock, where I'm going with that man is being
5:57
that you're a Kansas City Chiefs fan and they've pretty much
6:00
owned the NFL and Patrick Holmes is the poster child for the NFL
6:03
as well as State Farm. What do you, what's your what's
6:07
your take on on the calls that are not being made?
6:10
And, and, and take the take the fact that you love the Chiefs
6:14
out of the equation here. Do you see stuff?
6:17
You're like damn, they should have called that like we got
6:19
lucky. You know it.
6:21
We'll go clear back to the toothbrush.
6:24
OK, yeah, fucking. Toothbrush.
6:26
Yeah, man, Philly. I don't know how they missed
6:30
those calls. I don't either, they're always
6:32
offsides. They're always offsides, dude.
6:35
Every, every, every down on Tishbush.
6:38
Every down. Yeah, yeah, it's ridiculous.
6:41
Always offsides. So again, that's outside the
6:45
Chiefs, but sure. And, and I do love Philly, Don't
6:49
don't get me wrong. I don't.
6:51
Of course, I think they're incredible and, and.
6:55
They are a great team. We've had to play them enough
6:58
times my Lord, dude. Well, we got to play him twice a
7:03
year. The Giants do so you.
7:04
Know yeah, I hate him. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
7:06
I saw that. You know, and the, and the fact
7:10
that and the and the fact that Barkley after last night, he's
7:13
been eight, 860. Well, see, so last night,
7:17
because he got 117 yards, he finally broke the 800 yard
7:20
barrier Week 14 in the NFL. Well, last year by this time he
7:25
was he was almost 1800 yards. Yeah.
7:26
He's going to say he was 16-18 hundred yards.
7:29
Right. So he got, he got paid, he got
7:31
his ring and he's on record as saying that I ran angry last
7:36
year because he had something to prove and he's no longer running
7:38
angry because, right. But he's like, I can't, I can't
7:41
run angry because it doesn't. It's not good for my soul.
7:44
So basically he got paid, he got his ring, he got offensive
7:47
Player of the year. Now he's just going to sit back
7:48
and I'll just run a little bit here and there.
7:50
Yeah, it'll be on coast, you know, coast mode.
7:53
Right, right. Because he's, because he's kind
7:55
of playing like you did for the Giants a little bit, you know,
7:57
miss pass, miss passes and stuff like that.
7:59
Just kind of he's a frustrating player.
8:01
But you know, that's what it is, so.
8:06
Don't you want to talk about? Let's let's talk about Don
8:09
Warnick's life, man, because you.
8:10
Don't know about that. 'Cause you have, you have, you
8:15
have a cool man, you have a cool story.
8:18
Just the pieces that I know of you 'cause you went down the
8:21
dark path for a while and obviously you've turned your
8:24
life around. You're married, you, you got a,
8:26
you got a job. You're, you're a Chiefs fan,
8:28
which you know, nobody's going to hold out against you 'cause
8:30
you're a good man, you know? So talk a little bit about all
8:34
the, all the little, I don't know.
8:37
I don't talk a little bit about you.
8:38
What, what you know, how did you get down that dark path?
8:41
What led you there? And, you know, and the struggles
8:44
and stuff and, you know. Yeah.
8:45
Yeah, no issues at all. I'll give you the short version
8:50
because I know we're unlimited time.
8:51
We got an do, we got an hour. Are we good?
8:53
Yeah, we're good. Cocaine is not my friend.
8:58
Yeah. Yeah, Mike, I see.
9:00
I told you. I know.
9:01
Mike knows. He told me you and I were going
9:04
to get along great and I was going to love you and I
9:06
understand from the moment you started talking.
9:09
So keep going, brother. Yeah, so anyway, started out,
9:14
let's see, I was about 15 years, 15 years old for the cocaine to
9:22
crack cocaine. Wow, just.
9:24
Shit. No, not just your powder.
9:27
Where were you living at the time, Don?
9:28
Yeah, I was living with my parents.
9:31
In what city? State.
9:32
City. Oh, sorry, Shawnee, KS So suburb
9:35
of Kansas City. What year are we talking?
9:39
Oh no, no, no, you wouldn't even know the difference between OK,
9:45
Kansas City proper and Shawnee. They all run together.
9:49
Suburb. OK.
9:50
Yeah, it's just suburb. What time frame are we talking
9:53
year wise? I'm I'm sorry, Mike, what was
9:56
the? Question what what time frame
9:57
are we talking? Like what year?
9:59
That would have been 1986. OK, continue on.
10:03
And I was 16. I was 16.
10:05
We're about the same age. No, I'm 13, Chris.
10:08
No, we're. No, I'm saying we're about the
10:09
same age. I was 16 at the time.
10:11
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
10:12
Yeah, I would have been 13 there.
10:14
You go. So anyway, yeah, man, I, it was,
10:18
it was instant. I was an addict, I mean, and it
10:21
didn't matter if I had to steal air conditioner.
10:28
I stole air conditioner for my drug dealer, you know, because
10:32
his apartment didn't have air conditioning.
10:34
It was hotter than hell in there.
10:35
He's. You're such a nice guy, man.
10:38
Oh yeah, he's my buddy, right? Yeah, my ass.
10:44
So anyway, yeah, pretty much anything I could do to chase
10:52
that high again, it was an instant I never looked back.
10:59
Stole from my employers, unfortunately.
11:01
Wow, you know. Well, all attic crowd.
11:03
Right. Oh yeah, yeah.
11:06
Been there. What I had to do?
11:07
You're not alone. And ended up, let's see, like I
11:12
was telling you, Chris and Mike earlier did my first year, which
11:22
is Juvenile Youth Center at Topeka, so in Topeka, KS.
11:26
OK, So what, what before you before, before you expand on
11:28
that, what is what is it like being in a juvenile detention
11:32
center? Like like, like really?
11:36
So like, you know the movie Bad Boys, OK.
11:38
The the food sucks. OK, you know the movie Bad Boys
11:41
with East Side Morales and Sean Penn?
11:43
Is it like that? Yeah.
11:44
Of course, of course. Hi, sweet pea.
11:48
Hey, I saw you in the black dress, girl.
11:50
Hold on, hold on. Hold on.
11:53
She she can't hear you. Hold on.
11:55
OK, OK, go ahead. Go ahead.
11:57
Hello, I saw you in the black dress.
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Girl, you look beautiful. Thanks.
12:02
Black dress. Beautiful.
12:06
Thank you. You're very welcome, Sweeping.
12:10
Hi there you. Go.
12:10
There you go. Anyway, that's it.
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That's her. That's her cameo.
12:14
That's all she'll do. No.
12:15
So OK, so so the movie, you remember the movie Bad Boys with
12:18
Esai Morales or Sean Penn? OK, Was it?
12:20
Was it like that? Was it like that?
12:23
No, it wasn't as brutal. OK.
12:27
You know where Sean Penn is fighting?
12:30
Yeah. Yeah.
12:30
Bad boys. Yeah.
12:33
You know the movie. Yeah.
12:36
But you, you know, you had to watch back.
12:40
I mean, you know, they'll smack you in the head with coke can
12:44
so. Just for the hell of it.
12:48
If you cross the wrong paths, yes.
12:51
Really. Wow.
12:53
OK, OK. And more so, Well, I got another
12:57
story for you guys. I've been kind of planning on
13:00
this. For what?
13:01
How long we've been talking about this?
13:02
Three months, yeah. Yeah, yeah, something.
13:06
So I got another story to tell you when I went to Winfield,
13:09
Winfield my first week. So I do.
13:15
I have another story that kind of follows along that same path
13:19
line, but it is juveniles. They're more so hardcore than
13:30
like the adults. I could see that.
13:34
Yeah, they just man, they got, you know.
13:36
Yeah, because testosterone, they're locked up, right?
13:39
Young, dumb, full come, all that stuff.
13:41
Right, right, right, right. Kids are just cruel in general.
13:45
You mellow out, you get old. Exactly.
13:47
Right, exactly right. So anyway, you know, you get
13:56
Fast forward, I don't know, into my late 20s, had done a bunch of
14:04
little bits, a lot of county time.
14:08
County time's horrible. I'd rather go to prison.
14:11
Really. You at least you get to go
14:12
outside. Oh wow, yeah, I was just going
14:17
to ask the grass. Between your toes, my man, is,
14:19
is a hole in fresh air. Yeah.
14:22
Whereas county time, you're basically you're you're in a
14:27
cage for, you know, all the time.
14:32
You don't go outside. Wow.
14:34
So anyway, did I think, what, 10 months?
14:40
And then I had to go get my, my numbers.
14:43
So that's when I went to RDU to El Dorado.
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This is where BTK is, by the way.
14:49
Right, right. Matter of fact, if if you ever
14:51
look up Chris, if you ever look up when they walk BTK into
14:57
prison, there's a there's a blonde haired guard.
15:00
It's, it's female. Yeah, same chick.
15:03
Walk me in. No kidding.
15:06
Yeah, she was nice. She was cool, man.
15:09
But. She's still working here.
15:11
Yeah, still, she is still there. Mike, I'm for real.
15:16
That's crazy. So what year are we talking
15:19
there? You said.
15:22
Go ahead, Mike. I'm.
15:22
Sorry, no, that was my question. What year are we talking at
15:25
this? Point.
15:26
You were probably talking late 90s.
15:32
OK, so and while we're out rocking, you're in prison.
15:36
I'm sorry. While we're out rocking, you're
15:39
in prison. Yeah, I'm that man.
15:40
I Yeah. I'm doing time and out of jail,
15:41
no. Yeah, yeah, well, I had a
15:44
cocaine habit, my man. Chichi get the yoyo.
15:48
Chichi get the. Yoyo, I got the yoyo.
15:52
Yeah right. So any anyway, and I just went
16:00
up and got my number. So most of my time was county in
16:04
the, in the late 90s. And then, you know, I got, I got
16:10
really hemmed up again. I stole from my employer to
16:15
afford a habit that I, you know, I was living, living like a rock
16:20
star on a popper's budget, which is terrible.
16:24
And and, you know, I stole from the Jewish Community Center,
16:30
which, oh, you know, they're nonprofits, right?
16:35
Yeah. Not good, man.
16:37
Not good at all. No, dude, I still doctor, Doctor
16:41
Todd Ephraim. He was my boss.
16:46
Hi, Doctor Todd. I I will never.
16:50
Yeah. Doctor Todd.
16:51
Yeah. So anyway, I will never live
16:56
that down. Here, I'll make, I'll make you
16:59
feel better. To me, it's no, it's no better
17:02
or worse that you stole from anyone.
17:05
It doesn't mean, it doesn't mean anymore to me that it was a
17:08
religious affiliate because I don't put a lot of stock in
17:11
religions, right? So I just don't like people that
17:14
steal. And I'm sure at this point in
17:16
your life you don't like people that steal.
17:18
I've stolen, you've stolen. I don't know about Chris.
17:21
We've never had that discussion. Has Chris ever stolen?
17:24
Everybody, everybody, everybody does stupid shit when they're
17:27
kids, man. Yeah.
17:27
You know, I, I mean, I, I never, I never hooked up a robbery with
17:31
a liquor store or anything. You know, I never did AI never
17:33
did a convenience store, you know, I never, you know, tagged
17:35
a Yeah. No, I hadn't stole her purse.
17:37
I didn't, you know none of that shit.
17:40
No, me neither. You know, I didn't buy a gun
17:43
stealing me neither, you know, try to run, not get too far, you
17:46
know, in the ghetto, in the ghetto in.
17:49
The ghetto. I just don't find it any more
17:52
offensive that he stole from a religious affiliate.
17:54
It's. Just no stealing.
17:56
Stealing, no right stealing. Likely you are correct.
17:59
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean.
18:01
Yeah. So it's that one.
18:02
Got you jammed up into the prison.
18:04
And and it's a cross they that I will bear every well till the
18:09
day I die. You paid your penance, I would
18:12
just hold on every day. I did, yeah.
18:15
But anyway, so we Fast forward to 2005, get hemmed up again,
18:23
and yeah, the judge I like. To say that hemmed up.
18:26
Hemmed up, yeah. Hemmed up, baby.
18:28
Yeah, hemmed up. I like that.
18:31
So anyway, the judge had just had enough of me and he was
18:37
tired of seeing me. And he goes, well, you're,
18:41
you're going to serve out three years in prison.
18:46
And I asked, asked the judge who the judge was super cool, other
18:51
than, you know, he sent me away for three years, but.
18:55
Well. It's it's.
18:57
It's was So what that was well, so your juvenile stuff that
19:00
doesn't count towards your permanent record right, because
19:02
once you once you turn it so the only words really jammed up
19:05
twice as an adult instead of the third time gone you go to buy.
19:08
Yeah, OK. Yeah, OK.
19:10
That's good otherwise. So yeah.
19:12
So anyway, I asked the judge. I go.
19:16
Hey your honor, I go. May I give my dad a hug before I
19:20
have to go away from That's nice.
19:22
Three years. Well, I did.
19:23
I did 2 1/2. You do In Kansas.
19:26
They follow basically the federal guidelines.
19:30
So you you get you do 80% of your time and they'll give you
19:35
20% good time. Oh, right on.
19:37
So as long as you keep your nose clean.
19:40
Right. So he gave her dad a hug and he
19:41
he put a Shiv in your pocket. Yeah, no, he didn't give me no
19:44
Shiv, man. He gave him a.
19:47
Cake with it. Yeah, yeah, with a pile in it,
19:50
right. Where did they send you, Don?
19:54
Let's see, I went to Whenever you go to prison in Kansas, you
20:00
you automatically go to RDE, which is in El Dorado, which I.
20:02
What is that for the people that don't know at home?
20:05
Regional Diagnostics unit and what does that mean?
20:09
For us people that don't know. It basically it's before you're
20:14
Mike, before you're classified. So you're in there with baby
20:19
rapers, murderers, whatever. You know, you, you, they don't
20:24
have your, your classification. So.
20:26
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
20:27
There's there's people who rape babies.
20:30
Oh yes. Oh.
20:32
The world is a fucked up place buddy.
20:34
Yeah, no. Did Chris man, It's no.
20:36
Punk, dude, did you guys, did you guys go kill all them while
20:40
you were there? Like like the.
20:41
Car turned. The blind be talking to him if
20:43
he did. I didn't.
20:44
I didn't want to get get in trouble with my good time
20:50
because. How do you rape a baby man?
20:53
I I don't that hit me wrong. How?
20:54
Do you I? I would have hit you wrong.
20:56
I don't even. Like, I mean, I had, I, I sold
20:59
the house to a corrections officers, a female corrections
21:01
officer, a really, really nice woman, a really cool lady.
21:03
And I asked her one time. I was like, what's the weirdest
21:05
thing that, you know, she's like that baby right now.
21:07
I, I, no, no, no, no, no. It's worse than that.
21:10
I was like, yeah, I just, you know, I'd, I'd be interested,
21:12
you know, because I'm fascinated with the penal system and stuff.
21:14
I said, what's the worst criminal you have?
21:16
She's like, well, believe it or not, right now there's just an
21:18
influx of women because that's what meth hit stuff like that,
21:20
right? I was like, OK, I said, so it's
21:22
all regulated. She's like, Nah, we had one that
21:27
put her baby bullshit not in the microwave and turned it on.
21:34
So that hit me bad. But the, but Oh yeah, the baby
21:39
rape, like I that's just, that's just wrong on so many levels.
21:44
It's it's a baby. I lived, Chris, I lived it, it
21:49
it was open dormitory, so. OK, no cells.
21:54
Yeah. Basically monk beds and grows.
21:56
OK yeah. And lived across.
22:00
I forget the guy's name, but it raped his own kid, man, a baby.
22:04
Fuck. Fuck.
22:06
Yeah. He.
22:07
Well, he had a big gash in his head, so, you know, obviously he
22:11
had TB mental issues. Yeah.
22:14
Without. Yeah, yeah.
22:17
Yeah, I can. I can see that.
22:18
I think that's the only way it could happen is if your wires.
22:21
Are just not plugged. You are correct, brother.
22:23
Yeah, yeah, your wires got to be wrong.
22:26
Just Jesus, man, something. Backwards.
22:28
Yeah, I got yeah. So, so I, I don't, I don't mean
22:31
to stay on this topic, but so was he like just immensely hated
22:36
in in the in the dorm? Like did everybody hate that guy
22:40
who target on his back like fuck with him every day?
22:43
Well, not not you, but you know. No, no, it's all good.
22:49
Everybody has a gig in prison, right?
22:51
You got some kind of side hustle, Be it, you know, me was
22:58
was the law. And I just, you know,
23:02
fortunately, you know, I got a pretty solid brain.
23:07
Well, other than the part I smoked away, Mike, but anyway.
23:13
Anyway, I say. The same thing all the time.
23:16
Yeah. Anyway, so yeah, it it was, you
23:21
know, my side hustle was helping people with their cases.
23:27
The young man I was talking about that had diddled his kid,
23:37
he asked me to help him. And man, I had to refuse.
23:41
I had to refuse. Yeah, I.
23:43
'Cause that would have put a target on your back, right?
23:45
That would have definitely put a target on my back and.
23:50
Cause at this point you're in there, you said with everybody,
23:52
right? Somebody who was tax evasion all
23:55
the way to murdered to somebody right Bear.
23:59
BearCat, Mike. BearCat was I made it at the aid
24:02
dorm finally. Took about nine months.
24:06
Then you get a cell with four other guys or not a cell.
24:11
It's a root, basically. But yeah, BearCat, he had walked
24:17
down 30 years at Lansing for, for I think, killing his teacher
24:21
or some shit. Holy shit, yeah, bash her in the
24:24
head with a hammer or some shit. So you would think that guy.
24:28
Would want to kill that baby rapper.
24:30
Yeah, hey, I take BearCat over the baby rapper any day of the
24:34
week. Sure.
24:35
Yeah, No, no, no worries. Anyway.
24:38
You're teaching us something because we've always been under
24:40
the assumption, at least I have. And Chris and I are both
24:42
fascinated with this. Kind of like you said.
24:44
Yeah. We just.
24:45
We just have the same fascination because we've never
24:47
been there. Right.
24:48
So you don't know what you don't.
24:49
No, you don't want to go there. We don't.
24:51
No. No.
24:52
Absolutely I would much. Rather learn it from you.
24:54
So we've always been under the assumption if you've done
24:57
something that horrible to a child that everybody in there
25:01
wants to kill you. So keep explaining why that's
25:04
not technically the case. Well, one.
25:08
So let's go back to RDU. When when, when I'm in El
25:12
Dorado, they classify you, you're either minimum security,
25:18
medium security or high risk. Obviously I was medium or low.
25:26
OK, so there, there were no fences.
25:31
Well, there was a fence, but you could have hopped over it.
25:34
But so you did not want to jeopardize that because the next
25:42
step up would be medium security, which I mean you're
25:47
talking Hutch and I've been to Hutch did an overnight there.
25:52
What's What's Hutch? Hutchinson, KS.
25:54
OK, you you can look it up. Hutchinson Correctional
25:58
Facility. OK.
26:00
Anyway, did an overnight there because they transferred me to
26:06
Larnard to go to drug treatment, but I had to do an overnight at
26:12
at Hutch and it's old school man.
26:14
It it is straight up Shawshank. I mean.
26:18
Yeah, 30 foot walls. It's Hutch has been there since
26:23
I think the 1800s, so. At the place you're at, yeah,
26:26
everybody there knows that That's Step 2.
26:30
And you're basically, for lack of a better term, at the Country
26:34
Club of prisons at this point. Those those people don't want to
26:39
give up those living conditions to go to Shawshank.
26:43
Right. Yeah, you are correct.
26:45
Because total sense. Yeah, because the next step.
26:47
Up you're either going to Hutchinson, KS, Hutchinson
26:51
Correctional Facility or Lansing, which obviously you
26:55
know, Lansing, Leavenworth, I'm sure, sure you guys heard of
26:59
those two. Oh yeah, absolutely.
27:01
Leavenworth. Not, not.
27:02
Yeah, Leavenworth. Yeah, Leavenworth Fed, Dude.
27:05
Now that's bad news, man. So how long were you at this
27:08
place? I was at Winfield.
27:11
I did most of my time in Winfield, which is about 30
27:18
miles South of Wichita. OK, so do you know where
27:22
Wichita, KS is? I do OK, absolutely.
27:25
So just down to the right a little bit and train.
27:30
Don't run out of Wichita. No train don't run out of
27:33
Wichita unless unless you can catch it less.
27:37
Than you're a hog or a. Hog ass man.
27:41
So anyway, yeah, it's, you know, whenever, when you're in a
27:48
minimum camp, it's it's easy peasy.
27:53
It's more boring time, you know, it's the same repetitive thing
27:58
every day, every day, every day. But.
28:01
Which which can drive you nuts on.
28:02
Us it will, Chris, I'm telling you man, and the food sucks,
28:07
but. Anyway, the food's not swissly
28:10
good. You're incarcerated.
28:11
It's like, well, lobster, man. Well, we had we had commissary,
28:15
so we made our own food. OK, all right.
28:17
Oh, oh, oh. Let's talk about commissary
28:19
food. What kind of shit did you make
28:21
off that? I've seen people, I've seen
28:23
their shows. You can take ramen.
28:24
You can make weird stuff with ramen.
28:25
Burritos, babe. Ramen.
28:27
Burritos. Really.
28:28
How is this done? And BBQ sandwiches.
28:32
No shit. Yeah.
28:33
You my my roommate, John Zinner. OK, he, he was a he was a
28:39
mastermind. You, you know those round
28:42
butterscotch disks? You know the candy?
28:45
Oh, yeah, Yep. I don't know.
28:46
He'd melt it down and make BBQ sauce with ketchup.
28:51
And I don't know how he made it. And then we had we could buy
28:55
canned meat, so meat in the can and yeah, man, we'd and, and you
29:01
could buy bagels, so and, and cheese and squeeze cheese.
29:08
They have cheese whiz. Yeah.
29:09
And now we'd make them, sell them and Oh my dude, I'm telling
29:15
you to this day I would eat 1. Really.
29:18
They are epic. They that's.
29:20
Awesome. That's awesome.
29:22
So yeah. So they made it in a hot pot in
29:24
a hot pot. So go to the store tomorrow, buy
29:26
the ingredients, and then post it on Facebook.
29:28
Hey, man. You damn straight dude if I can
29:31
get a hold of Zenner which I cannot find him which is
29:33
probably best you know I don't stay friends with my any.
29:38
Well I got 1 friend that I stayed in touch with but OK one
29:43
out. Of like 3 on twist or Selma.
29:46
Yep, roommate. Yep, roommate David.
29:49
Wilkinson, that's his name. Hi, David.
29:52
Yeah. No, you know, I'm going to show
29:55
him this. No.
29:57
Yeah, of course he. Is is David free?
30:00
Oh, yeah, yeah. OK, cool.
30:02
Good job, David, You know, Hey, Chris.
30:05
And I don't know if I should probably say this, but you may
30:08
have to add this, Mike. Then don't say it.
30:10
But if you don't want to say it, don't.
30:11
Don't say it. Because yeah, don't say.
30:13
It I don't know if he's still sober but OK.
30:16
That's fine. Yeah.
30:16
You don't have to go there. It's it's all good.
30:18
Everybody believe it at that journey.
30:20
'S different, yeah. Everybody's journey's different.
30:21
He doesn't. He wants to come tell his story.
30:23
He's welcome to come on here too.
30:24
Absolutely. Oh.
30:25
Man, you should talk to him man. He's better lawyer in the
30:28
jailhouse lawyer than I am. No, right on.
30:30
Well, I was going to ask about recovery and then you, you
30:32
alluded to it in your story that you spent the night at Hutch on
30:35
your way to on your way to rehab.
30:38
Yeah, they. OK, So Winfield is just SE West
30:46
of Wichita. Lonard is out in the middle of
30:49
Kansas. OK.
30:51
So we had to take what we creatively call the Great Grey
30:56
Goose, which is a prevost. I mean, old school, not even a
31:01
sewer bus dude. And they, they got us and, and,
31:04
and belly irons and leg shackles, right?
31:09
And we, we make it up to Wichita and this is in it in the middle
31:16
of rush hour. So this is like 8:00 in the
31:19
morning. The freaking bus breaks down
31:21
dude. I.
31:22
Knew you were going to say that. Yep.
31:23
Oh yeah, the Grey Goose broke down, dude.
31:26
So they, they get us, they get us out of the bus and they put,
31:32
you know, we're still in our belly chains and leg irons.
31:35
And I think there were like 13 or 14 of us.
31:39
And they they line us with our backs against the the broken
31:43
down bus and Kansas Highway Patrol shows up, Sheriff's
31:48
Office shows up and they had us lined up with our backs against
31:53
the bus facing out away from the traffic.
31:57
And all of them lined up in 1/2 moon with shotguns, 12 gauges
32:04
and they go if you run off, we will shoot you.
32:08
And that that would they were not joking that.
32:11
Crystal clear. You.
32:13
He was definitely crystal. We're not kidding.
32:15
Yeah, no joke dude. If like your dude.
32:18
When he was. In We're not kidding.
32:21
You're going to catch 12. Yeah, 12 gauge in your ass.
32:26
So anyway, that happened anyway, they get a new bus, get us back
32:32
on the bus, take us to Hutch. So we do our overnight and then
32:38
the second part of the journey was to go to to Lonard.
32:42
Lonard is also minimum security. So, you know, no raised wire
32:51
fence, no 30 foot wall, but that's where they call it CDRP,
32:59
chemical dependency recovery program if I remember right.
33:03
OK. So I had already been through
33:06
rehab like 8 times so yeah it which proves.
33:12
That if you don't want to do it, it doesn't work right.
33:15
No, Yeah, thank you. Exactly.
33:17
You're my poster child. Yeah.
33:20
And so anyway, at this point, I'd already been sober for, I
33:25
don't know, two years and had to, had to sue Winfield in
33:34
federal court. Judge Judge Sam Crow was was the
33:39
judge and it was an ADA violation.
33:42
That is a. Great game.
33:43
Oh well, thank God and I first did.
33:45
But anyway for. You it wasn't a great.
33:48
Yeah, I know. But anyway, so ended up lost the
33:54
case of course, but but here's the reason why I sued him.
34:00
Because when you get out of prison, they give you $100 gate
34:06
money. Oh, what's that going to do?
34:12
Get you? Maybe a night in a hotel room.
34:14
Wow, not anymore. Yeah, no, no doubt, Mike.
34:18
See so anyway. I guess you have to buy some
34:22
more drugs, right? No doubt dude, that pack of
34:26
smokes and a six pack dude you got it.
34:29
Amen. So anyway I I was fighting to go
34:33
to work release which the work release program is in Wichita
34:41
and they they would not let me go until I completed CDRP which
34:48
again I told him I go man I've been through rehab many times
34:54
but they didn't see my way well. Obviously.
34:58
No. And so how long were you there?
35:00
Nobody's going to nobody's. Going to trust an addict in
35:02
jail, you know when in prison. They're just exactly.
35:04
Dave or Dawn? No, nor should you.
35:08
Right. So how long did they make you do
35:12
for your recovery program at that particular?
35:14
Stage Oh no, I got off the bus and refused it immediately so
35:18
they busted me down there. There's three level systems in
35:21
in Kansas prison system. You got Level 3, which is the
35:25
best level 2 medium level 1 low. They busted me down from Level 3
35:35
down to level 1 immediately took my TV away.
35:39
Oh, I know well. It's it's one of.
35:43
Those little clear things, yeah. You know, yeah.
35:47
I wish I would have kept it but. Yeah, yeah, memories.
35:51
So anyway, and it was tube TV. Now they have flat panels so but
35:58
they're they're still clear. You can you can see through
36:00
them. So that way you you can't hide
36:02
any contraband in them. Sure.
36:05
Yeah, I. Figured that one out too,
36:06
because that's. Yeah, I need it right.
36:10
Once an addict, always an addict, yeah.
36:12
Pretty much my man. Oh yeah.
36:14
Hey. Oh, OK, let's get back to
36:16
Winfield. First week.
36:19
First week, right? Yeah, I'm in, I think B dorm, I
36:24
think it was. It's five stories, brick
36:27
building, no AC, and it's in the middle of summer.
36:33
Oh, Oh yeah. It's like living in 1800s same
36:36
time. Yep, Yep.
36:37
No. AC and anyway, it's it's open
36:40
dorm, so you have bunks on both sides.
36:43
You get you got to run down the middle and bunks on both sides.
36:48
I think we're 25 deep, so hundred men to a floor.
36:54
Wow, double bunk and opposite. Oh man, Oh dude, funk dude now
37:00
dude that. Was my first thought too.
37:04
No, it it was horrible dude. I know how I smell after a bad
37:07
day. Exactly dude after working
37:09
outside in July. So anyway, I'm I'm clear at the
37:16
end top monk and about three bunks up for me.
37:25
Dude, dude with snitch, right. So some guys from Junction City,
37:33
Kansas, which I don't know if you ever heard Junction City,
37:37
but it is no punk dude. OK, They yeah, they those people
37:42
kill you, man. They'll fuck you up in Junction
37:44
City. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
37:46
They'll hook you up all right, Hook you up to a tree.
37:51
So anyway, they had snuck up from the third floor up to the
37:55
fifth floor where we were. And the, the dude that was just
38:02
he, he was 3 or $4.00 rows down for me.
38:07
But they snuck up, man, hit him in the hit him in the bag or in
38:11
the head with a bag of Coke cans, blood everywhere.
38:16
This is my first week of prison, right?
38:18
I'm going holy shit. And I and I'm in minimum of
38:22
security. Yeah, no, they bashed man, He,
38:26
he screamed. They they drug him off and
38:29
there's, there was trail blood and the black suits, which are
38:35
the MIPS of prison, you know, they, they come and turn on all
38:42
the lights and Kevin got me and I'm going.
38:47
I don't know, man. I didn't see anything.
38:49
I have my earphones, earplugs in, head wrapped up.
38:54
I don't have nothing, Sir. And they took me down to the
38:57
office, man, and it basically interrogated me.
39:00
Wow. And now I sucked my story.
39:02
That's good because. Snitches get stitches.
39:04
Snitches get stitches, baby. Yep.
39:07
We don't like narcs. Nope, no narcs.
39:10
That's never going to change. 1st 1st That was my first first
39:14
weekend. And the medium security or the
39:16
minimum security? Minimum.
39:17
That's yeah, minimum. They wouldn't even Hutch or
39:20
Lansing. So did did the guy come back?
39:24
No, never saw him again. Yeah, it's not surprising if.
39:26
There's I I don't know where he went.
39:28
Hell, maybe he died. I hope he didn't, but yeah.
39:31
So this so. So that was your second, your
39:34
second stop. Yeah, that was yeah.
39:36
OK. Yeah, Round 2.
39:37
And then and now you're you're when you're in, when you're
39:40
incarcerated, are you still using?
39:43
No, no, OK. Because I know I've heard
39:47
stories how they can make drugs and shit and smuggle.
39:49
Oh yeah, and. All that kind of crap, but no,
39:50
no, no SO. You're clean inside.
39:52
Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:54
Without a question, even quit smoking, Chris, I should have
39:57
stopped smoking. Wow.
39:59
But man, first thing I wanted to do is, you know.
40:03
Thumb the nose to the man, I'm getting a pack of cigarettes,
40:06
damn it. Still the worst addiction on the
40:09
IT. Is Mike, I'm telling you.
40:11
Nicotine is a evil. It's a bitch.
40:14
Evil evil bitch. It is a bitch.
40:16
Yeah. So anyway, I don't know.
40:21
This is probably about, I bet it was about a year in.
40:26
OK. And, and you know, you obviously
40:30
you can smuggle anything you want into prison.
40:33
You know, whatever, man, I don't care how it gets in.
40:36
Whatever. I ain't touching the key strip.
40:38
Yep. Definitely Keister.
40:40
Yep. Girlfriend Girlfriend comes to
40:41
visit you, she keister. Yep, Yep, Yep, Yep.
40:45
So anyway, 60 inch TV, yeah, I don't know how they get it up in
40:51
it, but whatever, they figure it out piece by piece.
40:54
So, so if somebody smuggles something in, right, like you
40:57
have a vision and they're smuggling something in, how do
40:58
they how do they get it to you? Because you're not I used Yeah.
41:03
I mean, how do you get from her to him?
41:06
Well, most of it's keister. So if, if you're yeah, if you're
41:12
smoking a cigarette, it's been up somebody's ass.
41:15
OK, I think what he's asking though is OK, now she has it up
41:19
her ass and she how does she get it to you once she gets into
41:23
the. Building.
41:24
I think the girl would put it in the vagina, right?
41:25
Yeah, yeah, yeah. She, she go front butt more
41:28
flexible. Yeah, she'd go front butt
41:30
brother. Yeah, OK.
41:31
But. So still, how does she get it
41:33
physically to you? Yeah.
41:35
Yeah. Oh, well, you, you can have a
41:38
limited physical contact, OK. And the visitation, visitation,
41:44
it's not like the movies where, yeah, OK, you, you have the
41:47
glass wall. Not, not minimum, minimum
41:50
security. OK, OK.
41:52
So yeah, we're, you know, like my parents would come visit me
41:56
and they could, you know, like my dad, he brought me steak soup
42:01
one day in a McDonald's cup, so it looked like coffee.
42:06
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely on Dad, man.
42:09
Right. On.
42:11
So anyway, you know, he was able to slip that to me.
42:14
You you can put in a drink, you can put it in, you know, well, I
42:20
wouldn't say a note because man, they they check your mouth.
42:25
But yeah, there's definitely, you know, you give him a kiss
42:27
goodbye, you know, if you're if you're boyfriend, girlfriend.
42:31
Yeah. You know, conjugal visit.
42:33
Yeah, I don't know. No, I didn't get no damn
42:36
conjugate. I could have used one.
42:38
My man. 2 1/2 years. No, no more.
42:40
No, man. Yeah, it was brutal.
42:44
That would be harsh anyway. But yeah, you know, you give
42:49
somebody a kiss goodbye if they're your girlfriend or
42:52
whatever, you know, you can slip, slip it via the mouth.
42:55
Yeah, OK. I.
42:57
Gotcha. Anyway back back to that.
43:00
So I was going going down my rung to, to go to, you know, my
43:08
bunk. Yeah, These, these are my first,
43:11
man. They were smoking crack cocaine
43:12
in there. I'm going.
43:14
Wow. No, I just kept going, dude.
43:16
Now I didn't. I didn't even look at it.
43:18
Good job. And, and not just because of me,
43:21
I just didn't want anything to do with that.
43:25
I I don't want to be around it. I don't want to be caught with
43:27
it and. I could imagine, I could imagine
43:31
once you once, once the first time in juvie, right then when
43:33
you're an adult, you're going in that and you hear that cliche.
43:36
Once the door closes, you're like, holy shit moment.
43:38
Like fuck, what have I done with my thing?
43:40
Right. So I think that would be, I
43:42
mean, you track me if I'm wrong, but I think that would be some
43:44
kind of motivation for somebody who is still within their their
43:48
faculties, right? Because you weren't, you
43:50
weren't, you didn't destroy your brain, right?
43:52
You weren't. Yeah, that was clear minded,
43:54
right, Right you. Weren't beating people up and
43:55
shit, no you were just petty theft type stuff to support your
43:59
habit. So when that door clanked, I
44:01
mean you had to have that moment.
44:02
I go fuck, what have I done with my life?
44:04
Yeah, so I. I mean, yeah.
44:06
I mean, I think unless, unless I was a serial killer or
44:09
something. And when I mass murder, you
44:10
know, because if you're going to do it, fucking do it.
44:13
Unless your brain's broken, you're going to have.
44:15
That yeah, yeah. Unless, yeah.
44:18
And but you but your brain wasn't broken, so that's.
44:20
No, and when that door closes, the walls get smaller.
44:25
I can tell you that. I like panic attack it, it's
44:30
close to it very similar. I wouldn't have that because I'm
44:33
claustrophobic and I don't like being that close.
44:35
Yeah. Brother, I'm telling you man, I.
44:36
Wouldn't make it. I'd probably be the guy hanging
44:38
in my cell. God, oh.
44:41
Dude, how hard? How hard is it to?
44:42
Sleep when the lights are on all the time.
44:48
OK. So, but, but you, you, you learn
44:54
how to deal with that. You know, you can, you can wrap,
44:58
you know, peloques around your eyeballs.
45:01
Yeah, obviously, you know, I slept with earplugs in because
45:05
everybody's a freaking rap star in prison, man.
45:07
They all think they're, they all think they're ditty, man.
45:12
I don't know man. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be
45:14
Diddy right now. No, no doubt, man.
45:16
Me neither. No.
45:20
So, yeah, you learn how to tune things out is the best way I can
45:28
describe it. OK.
45:31
You know, And Mike, this will allude to kind of well, you ran
45:37
Chris's question why it was so hot in there again, basically
45:43
it's it's a freaking pizza oven. It's brick.
45:48
They they did have ice machines and you could go get a bag of
45:52
ice and you Sup with a bag of ice on your head.
45:55
But it's the only way to get through July and August in
45:59
Kansas. I bet you had people falling out
46:01
from heat exhaustion. Without question dude.
46:05
They did have fans. But but you're circulating hot
46:08
air. Yeah, circulating hot air.
46:11
That's a blast. Furnace, yeah.
46:13
Yeah. So, so you're 2 1/2 years there
46:15
and when you get out, you're you're clean when you get out,
46:17
right, Yes. And then you had one more stint
46:20
somewhere after that. No, I got out in well, I got out
46:25
in O 7, no drugs. I haven't.
46:31
Yeah, I'm drug free. Nah, I've been.
46:34
I went back to drinking, which again, Chris, you know.
46:40
I know. And anyway, I got DWI in in
46:48
September of 2020, Missouri side this time.
46:52
OK. So anyway, took 2 1/2 years for
47:01
it to every for before I was overcharged.
47:04
So I almost made statute of limitations.
47:07
Wow, almost Yep six months out then.
47:11
OK so anyway regardless had to go to court.
47:18
You know cops come knocking on my door 10 in the morning or 10
47:21
at night. Yeah and had to go to jail bail
47:26
out O 604-2023 is my last day. OK.
47:33
Right on. Crystal clear, baby.
47:36
That's awesome, dude. Yeah wow.
47:37
So I I don't have 7000 days, but that's.
47:40
OK, you still, but still man, the day at a time and you, you
47:43
turned your life around, which is what Mike and I love, which
47:46
when we first started this thing, it the basis of it, the
47:48
premise was addiction recovery because both of us been there,
47:51
done that. And it's everybody's story is
47:53
different. Everybody's journey is
47:54
different. We had, we had a guy in within
47:57
our first year, I think that was smoking pot when he was five
47:59
years old. Yeah.
48:01
Now he now he's, he's recovered. He's a coach.
48:03
He's a Wellness, health and Wellness coach.
48:05
He's a recovery coach. Amazing.
48:06
Individual, yeah. So it's just, I mean, it just
48:09
shows it. It shows that the human spirit
48:11
is, is, is strong as you want it to be.
48:14
So I think that's fantastic that you're where you are now,
48:16
completely clean, sober, and that part of your life is is in
48:19
the rearview mirror and it's never coming back.
48:21
Well, and Chris, you know, you know, like Nikki, you know, you
48:29
appreciate your wife more, you appreciate your kid more.
48:33
Mike, I don't know if you have a wife or a kid, but.
48:35
I don't OK. He has a guitar.
48:38
No, that's outstanding, dude. The one thing I have in common
48:43
with you guys is I am 1516 years.
48:48
Well, no, it'd be more more like 17 or 18 years sober now, so.
48:52
Right. I never had a problem with
48:55
alcohol, I just don't enjoy being drunk, but I really
48:57
enjoyed hard. Drugs.
48:58
Thank God you don't, my man. It's it's you.
49:01
Talk about cigarettes, alcohol. It's right up there, man.
49:05
And I think a lot of it's an effort.
49:07
So many people who were in that boat and they did not look like
49:12
they were having fun. No.
49:14
Not to say that you and I look like we were having fun at the
49:17
throes of our cocaine and meth addiction.
49:20
Yeah, exactly. I get you, I get you.
49:22
You know, every, I always say that life is perspective, right?
49:24
So you got to make it relative to your situation.
49:27
But that alcohol one, it's such a slow burn.
49:32
You know, I told Chris we had a neighbor growing up and he drank
49:35
himself to death. And in the end, he had no color
49:39
left, right? He was great, but he couldn't
49:41
see that right? Because that urge was so strong
49:45
to stay drunk, Mike. And at that point, it's
49:49
dangerous to stop, right? Without help.
49:51
Yeah, Mike. This is a real story my roommate
49:55
who owns owns the house I live in so he's he's on SSDI so we
50:00
just basically take care of him and pay him a few bucks rent and
50:05
pay all the bills you. And you and the missus, Yeah.
50:07
Me and the missus. Yep and and Little Miss.
50:10
Little Miss is going to be 17 dude.
50:12
Really. Yeah, she's driving around her
50:14
own color, man. That's awesome, dude.
50:16
That's awesome. So anyway, Mike, the exact same
50:21
thing happened to him. He he's chronic alcoholic.
50:26
He turned white. And and I mean, dude, I thought
50:29
he was going to die. And his name's Scott, Scott
50:32
Burrows. Love him dearly.
50:35
But yeah, you know, he had to change his ways or I I thought
50:44
he was going to die, dude, just like you were talking about
50:46
that. It's funny you should say that.
50:49
It's so. Sad man.
50:51
Yeah, yeah. You turn like great.
50:53
Like, like an alien, Yeah. And the one thing that him and I
50:57
always say is, and you're probably going to pair at the
51:00
same thing, it life on the other side is so much more.
51:05
You just said it. Vibrant fun.
51:08
Exciting. Absolutely.
51:11
I would not be sitting here doing this with you guys because
51:13
I would be shut in a room somewhere, you know, enjoying my
51:17
high or whatever I thought was so exciting at the time.
51:20
This is way more exciting, right?
51:22
I don't. Hear your story and meet
51:24
somebody that means as much to you.
51:27
To Chris, you know his excitement excited me, right?
51:32
Like, you're gonna love this guy.
51:33
His story's amazing. He's got such a life journey.
51:36
And I could just see it in his eyes.
51:37
I could hear in his voice. It's like, OK man, this is
51:39
exciting. I'm ready to go and Mike, I'm
51:41
just scratching the surface, my man.
51:44
We will. We will definitely have you.
51:46
Back Yeah. Part 2, Part 2.
51:47
Mike, come on, man. We can do as many as you want.
51:51
You're an amazing individual, dude.
51:53
Yeah, because the other thing and we have like, you know,
51:55
we're close to an hour, but I definitely, I want to talk a
51:58
little bit about music because because we we all three of us
52:00
have a love for music. It's Paul Motions fault.
52:04
I would have an. Yeah.
52:06
See, when I when I first found you on Facebook through
52:08
Marshall, I swear to God, I thought you were a disc jockey.
52:10
I thought that's how you guys knew each other.
52:12
Oh, no, no, no. Yeah, no, but that's what I but
52:14
I because you're so you're so into music.
52:16
I just I and because of him, I. Just love it brother.
52:19
You know, I just thought, OK, that's what it was.
52:22
Because I don't. I don't.
52:23
I don't. It's my salvation, my man.
52:25
Yeah, me too. To the choir brother.
52:28
Yeah, exactly. See my religion.
52:30
It's my religion. Hey, Speaking of real, real
52:34
quick, I don't know if you guys have ever heard of DSS
52:39
productions. Nope.
52:42
Anyway, they do all all the concerts here in KC production
52:48
company and they're huge. They've they've done NASCAR out
52:53
in Vegas. I mean, you, you name it, all
52:56
the rock fest. Cool.
52:59
But anyway, they're Christmas parties this Friday and I get to
53:01
go. Right on.
53:02
Oh, that's awesome, man. Free.
53:04
Food all. All you can eat, man.
53:06
Jeremy Dixon, Yeah. Congratulations.
53:08
Shout out to Jeremy. Yeah, definitely is there.
53:11
Going to be bands there. Yeah, yeah, they do have live
53:15
music. I don't know who it is.
53:18
I'll probably get to see LJ, though.
53:21
Right on Lejon Baby Seven Dust there.
53:24
You go. We opened up for them.
53:27
Yeah, we did. You did for real.
53:28
Yeah, yeah, back. When they were first you got to
53:31
beat LG. No.
53:33
Oh, you should. Have met, we played before them
53:36
and if we did we said hi to them or whatever.
53:39
Yeah, in passing. It was in passing.
53:41
Yeah, couldn't have been nicer guys.
53:42
Yeah, they weren't. They weren't there yet.
53:44
They were on their way up. Yeah.
53:46
The song Black had just come out.
53:48
Yeah. Outstanding.
53:49
It was that long ago. Yeah.
53:52
That's all good A. Pub and Tempe.
53:55
Yeah, I actually knew his wife actually like years before I
54:02
ever met LJ and then finally met LJ and then wife's got pictures
54:08
of, you know, her and LJ and Nah, it couldn't be more of a a
54:17
kind cat. I I can't even describe it.
54:21
Super cool. You would both positions are
54:24
most, yeah. Yep, the real ones are Mike.
54:27
The real ones. Thank you.
54:28
That's a great. No, it's all good.
54:29
It's all good. Right, the people who are doing
54:32
it for the right reasons. Yep.
54:33
I've always met the most heartwarming.
54:36
They would give you the shirt off their back.
54:38
Brent's. You know, Brent Smith comes to
54:40
mind. Shinedown name ring a bell shot.
54:43
Oh, yeah, thank you. Yeah, you're don's a huge.
54:46
Shiny. Yes, I am.
54:48
Me too. I love them dearly.
54:49
Love that band. Yeah, So when when they did the
54:52
cover of Simple Man. Oh yeah, That was the last band
54:55
I was in. And we actually were doing that
54:57
before Shinedown released it. So when you did when we did the
54:59
Sturgis tour in 2008. I sing in a little different
55:03
than than he does, but I still have that Southern.
55:05
Drawl Sturgis. You know Jesse.
55:08
No. Dupree.
55:10
No. I know she'll meet Jesse.
55:12
He no. He was signed to Universal
55:14
Records. At the time, yeah.
55:15
He's on Universal. Yeah, I got you.
55:17
So anyway, go ahead. I didn't mean.
55:18
That so no, no, you're good. We we played it.
55:20
We played it one night and then it was it was so well received.
55:22
They asked for it the second night we were there, which was.
55:24
Yeah, outstanding. But so a it's a great song.
55:27
It's Lynyrd Skynyrd, dude, right?
55:29
And that was back before, you know, before Shinedown, yeah.
55:33
Before cell phones had video, Yeah, but they were just still
55:36
photos, so that entire trip was not recorded.
55:39
Which? That day.
55:40
Because because some of this stuff we pulled, we did live, we
55:43
ended up playing with a band called House of Stone, which are
55:45
super, super cool guys. They were basically a cover band
55:48
that right, just had this limitless catalog.
55:50
So I'd go up and, and do backup vocals and just, you know, have
55:54
fun with those guys. But it was, it was a great
55:57
experience. And the, the, the, the moment,
55:59
though, was the cool moment to me was we were on stage.
56:01
And just stand on that stage, man, right?
56:04
That has got to be both of you. Both of you know I've never
56:08
experienced that. Yeah, I think Chris said it
56:11
best. It's something that the reason
56:13
that him and I could go so long without talking to each other
56:16
and then come back and it's like you picked up right where you
56:20
left off. It's those moments on stage.
56:22
You can't recreate that with anyone.
56:24
Else in our. Life.
56:25
I mean, I don't mean to make this sound bad, but not your
56:28
family, not your wife, not your girlfriend, no, what what it it
56:31
just, it's an experience that is unlike anything else you've ever
56:36
done. And look out and see 5008
56:39
thousand, 10,000 people, whatever.
56:41
And to look to your left and your.
56:43
Right and see your baby. Sisters.
56:45
Yeah. Like, these are my warriors and
56:48
we're going to war, you know? Yep.
56:50
I couldn't even imagine, man, I've it's Mike.
56:52
I've never, I've never had that experience.
56:56
I wish I could. Maybe someday I'll talk LJ, or
57:01
maybe Brett if I run into him, whatever.
57:04
The cool thing that I always say is without people like you and I
57:08
have so many of my friends who are in the same boat as you, and
57:11
now we're friends as well, right?
57:14
Without people that I'm a fan first and foremost.
57:17
Before. Anything.
57:17
I am not a musician first, I am a fan, right?
57:20
So. Lost in the crowd, baby.
57:23
Yeah, being a musician always takes backseat, and people find
57:25
that fascinating. You know?
57:26
Like, I would wear that like a code of honor or something.
57:29
It's like, no, man, I'm a fan. I just write music that I want
57:32
to hear. But there's plenty of music that
57:34
other people have written that we love too, you know?
57:37
Yep. Ozzy Osbourne, baby.
57:39
Cool. I know, man.
57:41
It's the world. It's tough loss.
57:42
Tough loss, Chief. And.
57:44
And yeah, and he just had his birthday, too.
57:46
Yep. He just had his birthday.
57:47
Yeah, you are correct. So.
57:48
So did Dime, by the way. Yep.
57:51
Did you guys know that Dime and John Lennon were shot on the
57:55
same day? Yeah.
57:56
No, I did not know that. Well, Lennon was 45 years ago
57:59
Monday. Right.
58:00
Oh, was it like 2 days apart or something?
58:02
OK. Yeah, close enough.
58:04
All right, I mixed that up. I thought it was the same day,
58:07
but I didn't know they were that close together.
58:09
That's crazy town, man. Is they played it during Monday
58:12
Night Football? Because it happened during
58:13
Monday Night Football game. Howard Cosell reported it.
58:16
That's right. I forgot about that.
58:17
You're totally right, yeah. And he was so just like Howard,
58:22
you know, Howard Cosell voice that, you know, John Lennon.
58:24
Shot John Lennon back and had. Fun Yep, Yep, his his residence
58:29
in New York and taken to the hospital dead on arrival there
58:32
was. Like, you know, they let that
58:33
dude out, Chris. I know I don't know how you got
58:38
Reagan's guy still incarcerated like.
58:40
No kidding, man. Man and Reagan didn't die.
58:44
Yeah. Seriously.
58:46
Right? Imagine.
58:49
Imagine if Lennon was still alive today.
58:51
Oh, I couldn't even imagine. You know what I mean?
58:53
I mean the music that he would have continued to make.
58:55
I thought about that when I saw that on Facebook.
58:57
Not just the music, but would his message have carried?
59:01
I I think it would. Would the world have been
59:03
different? I asked.
59:05
My I'm not kidding, you guys. No, I'm glad Chris brought that
59:07
up. I honestly asked myself that
59:09
question when I read, you know, that it was the anniversary of
59:12
his death. I'm like, had that dude lived,
59:15
would the world have been different?
59:17
I think so. He had a lot of.
59:18
Influence. I think so too.
59:19
I mean, I think so as. Well, yeah, there there is truth
59:22
to the statement that he made regarding Jesus Christ.
59:24
The The Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ at one point in
59:26
time. Like everybody knew The Beatles
59:28
and not everybody knew Jesus Christ, of course.
59:30
And that and then, and I'm not saying that to be blasphemy
59:32
people, no. It was a jet.
59:34
It's a fact. It's the jet.
59:35
It's especially back then when you didn't have the the the far
59:40
reaching depths. Of yeah, the interwebs.
59:42
There was, there was nothing. There was nothing.
59:47
And everybody would know John Lennon's name.
59:49
You know, it's kind of like Elvis.
59:50
Elvis transcended borders. He was old, round, right?
59:54
He did. So, but he's supposed to be gone
59:56
because, you know, the legacy is what it is.
1:00:00
Best Song, and Mike and I have talked about Best Song that I
1:00:02
think I've ever heard. Linen do it.
1:00:04
He was doing it was a fifth take of Come Together.
1:00:07
Yeah, in this in the studio, the 5th take.
1:00:10
And he was talking before the song, sang the song and talking
1:00:13
after the song, what he wanted to change.
1:00:15
It was the most raw, brilliant and beautiful.
1:00:19
That's why I love music. That is why I love music.
1:00:23
Live, live and. I've only heard it twice.
1:00:25
I heard it. I'm seriously, I've only heard
1:00:27
it twice. I cannot find it and I don't
1:00:29
want to find it because I think I get tired of it, but it was
1:00:31
just when it when it came on, I'm like, oh, wait, wait, wait,
1:00:34
So I turned it up and then I just like, wow, just just just
1:00:39
chills because it was it's such a great.
1:00:40
Yeah, give me goosebumps, man. But then the fact that it was
1:00:43
the 5th take and he was still trying to figure it out, The 5th
1:00:47
take, I'm like, fucking. Nailed it well.
1:00:49
You and I have talked about it, those mistakes that happen on
1:00:52
stage so many times, they turn into parts of the song.
1:00:56
I agree with you heartedly, Mike, Chris.
1:00:59
And I would learn. We would learn to embrace those
1:01:01
things. Yeah.
1:01:02
You know, there were way more instances where we'd all four.
1:01:06
Maybe a voice cracks or whatever.
1:01:08
Or you hit a weird note on the weird note.
1:01:11
Hey, what'd you do in that section there?
1:01:12
That was different, man. I dug that.
1:01:14
Yeah. Yeah.
1:01:17
Yeah, that magic is so cool, man.
1:01:19
Yep, Yep. And that's the cool thing about
1:01:21
being live. If it's not recorded, you're
1:01:22
just you just set that moment. In time.
1:01:24
It's Chris. It's wrong, dude.
1:01:26
Yeah, Yep. And you bear your soul only
1:01:29
those people. And that's it.
1:01:32
We we are imperfect humans, and imperfection sometimes turns
1:01:40
into genius. Absolutely.
1:01:42
But to Chris's point, at that moment in time, on that evening,
1:01:46
for that span of time, only you and the audience get to
1:01:50
experience. Correct, that's can't recreate
1:01:52
it. Just it's out of.
1:01:54
Memory. Yep, the memory lasts forever.
1:01:56
For the people that don't like going to concerts, I'm pretty
1:01:58
sure I don't want to be friends with you.
1:02:00
Yeah, no. They're not my friend because
1:02:02
you just. Don't understand, they say it
1:02:04
actually it like extends your life if you go to so many
1:02:08
concerts every. Year well, hopefully I'll live
1:02:12
to be 110 because I've been a bunch of.
1:02:14
Yeah, we need to have Yeah. Next time you come on, we're
1:02:17
talking music, man. We're talking concerts.
1:02:19
We're talking. Oh yeah, anytime brother I I
1:02:21
could talk music all day. Dude, I.
1:02:23
Know, I know. And if I didn't have somewhere
1:02:25
to be in an hour, we would keep talking, no?
1:02:26
It's all, it's all good. It's all we're going to.
1:02:28
Have you guys Part 2 Part 2 word?
1:02:32
Yourself a second spot from about two seconds into this.
1:02:36
Yeah. Yeah.
1:02:37
Yeah, you guys are epic. Yeah, don't leave yet.
1:02:40
Once we get done, we got to make sure you upload properly.
1:02:42
So OK, He's the man in myth. A legend on Warnock, dude.
1:02:47
Thank you so much. You guys are the best.
1:02:50
Hey, you know, Mike, give give that give that Mrs. hug for me
1:02:54
now. No.
1:02:55
Mike, I sure will, yeah. Damn straight.
1:02:57
No, not mine. No, wait, wait.
1:02:59
Chris. Yeah, Chris.
1:03:00
Sorry, sorry. My bad.
1:03:02
I'll hug my guitar. You can.
1:03:04
Hug the guitar. No, that'd be good.
1:03:05
He's gonna. Hug his He's gonna hug his
1:03:07
guitar. I love it.
1:03:10
Yeah, so he's down. Warnock.
1:03:11
I'm Chris. He's Mike.
1:03:12
This is the Chris I'm actually remember.
1:03:13
If you're feeling sorrow, depressed, suicidal, don't do
1:03:15
it. Go scream in a pillow.
1:03:16
Go outside, run. Go work out.
1:03:18
Find somebody to talk to you. If you can't find somebody to
1:03:20
talk to you, text 988. Somebody's standing by to talk
1:03:23
you off that Cliff. The world's a better place with
1:03:25
you in it. Don't leave a hole in somebody
1:03:26
else's heart because you decided not to wake up tomorrow, right
1:03:31
Mike? Michael's love you, brother.
1:03:32
Don love you too man, Love you. So great to meet you, Don.
1:03:34
Hey, you too, Mike. It's good, Chris.
1:03:36
It's good to see your bug, my man.
1:03:38
Yeah. Yeah, you too, brother.
1:03:40
All right, till next time. Peace.
1:03:42
Peace. So I realized Don when I was.