Marc Maron's Blog, page 3
November 23, 2015
There Usually Are Some Good Sides.
Happy Thanksgiving, People!
I’m going to keep this relatively short and sweet.
This is the week, the beginning of the family holidays. I don’t know about you but every year a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving I start feeling irritable and snappy. I start snapping at my friends and strangers. I feel ungrounded and fucked up in the head. I never know what it is at first. Then a few days before I have to go to my mother’s for Thanksgiving it hits me--the realization that my inner self is preparing or resisting going back to the source. Not just the biological source but the emotional, psychological, metaphysical, philosophical source of who I am and it is not comfortable.
There are good sides to all that you get without asking for from your parents but there are also the bad parts. Their flaws made us react and that reaction is part of the basic construction of how we react and interact with everything and everybody and some of us spend a lifetime trying to temper, manage and fix those reactions and interactions so as not to become the worst part of our parents. That is just a reality. So, when we have to go to the source, all that tempering and retraining and inner work that we have done is threatened. We innately know that the only person or people that can crumble the structure, albeit temporarily, are the ones we built it to protect ourselves against. In other words, our family. They will easily break us.
Here’s what I know. It is temporary and you just have to fortify. Try to find the good side of the unavoidable. We’re older. They can't hurt us like they used to. They're older. It might be good to start appreciating they won’t be around forever. Hell, we might not. There usually are some good sides to them. We have those, too, and we might have gotten that from them also. Focus on those. Try to find the love you had for them that was once pure and tap that a little bit if it’s not too scary and it won’t leave you too vulnerable. And, for your own and everyone else’s benefit, have a fucking sense of humor about it all. They cant really hurt us anymore. Hahahahaha.
Right?
And above all else, remember we are all fragile and as we get older even more so, in many ways. Respect that.
Today, Monday, I talk to Ira Kaplan whose band Yo La Tengo was one of the defining bands of modern indie rock. Also, Bob Odenkirk stops by the garage and we get Dave Cross on the phone to talk about their new show, w/ Bob and David. On Thursday I share a live episode recorded at LA Podfest featuring radio veterans and legends Jim Ladd and Frazer Smith. The real deals.
Happy Thanksgiving (you can do it)!
Love,
Maron
I’m going to keep this relatively short and sweet.
This is the week, the beginning of the family holidays. I don’t know about you but every year a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving I start feeling irritable and snappy. I start snapping at my friends and strangers. I feel ungrounded and fucked up in the head. I never know what it is at first. Then a few days before I have to go to my mother’s for Thanksgiving it hits me--the realization that my inner self is preparing or resisting going back to the source. Not just the biological source but the emotional, psychological, metaphysical, philosophical source of who I am and it is not comfortable.
There are good sides to all that you get without asking for from your parents but there are also the bad parts. Their flaws made us react and that reaction is part of the basic construction of how we react and interact with everything and everybody and some of us spend a lifetime trying to temper, manage and fix those reactions and interactions so as not to become the worst part of our parents. That is just a reality. So, when we have to go to the source, all that tempering and retraining and inner work that we have done is threatened. We innately know that the only person or people that can crumble the structure, albeit temporarily, are the ones we built it to protect ourselves against. In other words, our family. They will easily break us.
Here’s what I know. It is temporary and you just have to fortify. Try to find the good side of the unavoidable. We’re older. They can't hurt us like they used to. They're older. It might be good to start appreciating they won’t be around forever. Hell, we might not. There usually are some good sides to them. We have those, too, and we might have gotten that from them also. Focus on those. Try to find the love you had for them that was once pure and tap that a little bit if it’s not too scary and it won’t leave you too vulnerable. And, for your own and everyone else’s benefit, have a fucking sense of humor about it all. They cant really hurt us anymore. Hahahahaha.
Right?
And above all else, remember we are all fragile and as we get older even more so, in many ways. Respect that.
Today, Monday, I talk to Ira Kaplan whose band Yo La Tengo was one of the defining bands of modern indie rock. Also, Bob Odenkirk stops by the garage and we get Dave Cross on the phone to talk about their new show, w/ Bob and David. On Thursday I share a live episode recorded at LA Podfest featuring radio veterans and legends Jim Ladd and Frazer Smith. The real deals.
Happy Thanksgiving (you can do it)!
Love,
Maron
November 16, 2015
I Guess That’s the Fantasy.
Rock and Roll, People -
Damn, I love to play guitar. I really need to get a group of people I can play with on a semi-regular basis. The issue is there is some part of me that wants it to be great in a professional way. I think this is a problem I have with self-judgment in general.
I mean, I’m a very limited player. I feel it, but I’m not really a musician. I respect musicians and I would never claim to really be one. When I do play, it’s sort of like sports, which were never really my thing because the competition element was too intense. If I played shitty or was on a losing team the real game played out in my head. A fight between me and me about my performance and I always lost that one. It’s fixed.
I like when I can do something well out of the gate but I don’t love working on it or the discipline required to really work on it. I do with comedy and the podcast but that’s all very in the moment stuff and I’ve worked on it all of my life. The feedback and freedom is so immediate but I always feel like I should work harder. So, with music, even if I do it casually, I compare myself to people who make it their life and it makes me insecure and not want to pursue it even for fun. Weird and stupid. I mean, I’ve been working hard at guitar but do I really think I’m going to become a singer songwriter or a front man of a relevant band? Some part of me does. I guess that’s the fantasy. I need to get over it.
I played ‘out’ the other night. Brendon Small did one of his ‘Baked’ comedy shows where a comic tells a somewhat music-specific story and then you can sing or play or both with the amazing musicians he puts together. Last night it was Brendon on guitar, Joe Travers on drums, Pete Griffin on bass and Walter Ino on keyboard and guitar. I wanted to do ‘What Goes On’ by the Velvet Underground. I’d played it before in front of people but I wanted to do it again because my leads are getting better and I wanted to hit that lead note for note.
The rehearsal was at Walter the keyboard guy’s house. I had never been there. Wasn’t sure if it was the right place. No one was picking up their phone or responding to texts. I had my Nash Telecaster with me, no case, and I was sitting in my car losing my shit, again. I thought I wouldn’t get to rehearse. I acted like a child. Texted, ‘I’m out.’ And started to drive off. Then Brendon called, met me outside and we went in to play. I apologized for being a dick. We warmed up with literally three minutes of blues and I was so worked up and mad and caffeinated that I think I played the best I ever played. Then we played the song. It was perfect. Best I’ve ever done it, lead and all. Then I had five hours before the gig.
Long story short, I joined the band for the opening number of La Grange and nailed it. When I went up to do my song I had realized that most of the audience wouldn’t know it and we were at the Improv and a lot of them were there for a comedy show—they had no idea the show they were about to see. I was nervous. I did some bits, got some laughs and we went into the song. It sounded great. Then, we got to the lead and I CHOKED. I botched it. We came back around to it. I botched it again. No one would’ve known because I just jammed something else but not THE lead. So, instead of leaving it be I said, ‘Fuck, I’m going to get this lead.’ Then on the mic I said, ‘we have to stay in the song until I nail this thing.’ I did, but it was clearly not the cool-headed thing to do. I beat myself up for hours. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is I don’t think I can just play music casually. I need to start a serious band and do the work. Someday. Right.
Today on the show I talk to a very post-Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe. Great guy. Solid. On Thursday, I spent a little time with Aziz Ansari and talk about his new show AND I spend some time talking to bass badasses Robert Trujillo and Flea about Robert's film project ‘Jaco.’ It’s a doc about Jaco Pastorius. I don’t generally do these type of talks but we got a lot of other stuff in and I think it's an important story about an American genius that needs to be told and seen.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
Damn, I love to play guitar. I really need to get a group of people I can play with on a semi-regular basis. The issue is there is some part of me that wants it to be great in a professional way. I think this is a problem I have with self-judgment in general.
I mean, I’m a very limited player. I feel it, but I’m not really a musician. I respect musicians and I would never claim to really be one. When I do play, it’s sort of like sports, which were never really my thing because the competition element was too intense. If I played shitty or was on a losing team the real game played out in my head. A fight between me and me about my performance and I always lost that one. It’s fixed.
I like when I can do something well out of the gate but I don’t love working on it or the discipline required to really work on it. I do with comedy and the podcast but that’s all very in the moment stuff and I’ve worked on it all of my life. The feedback and freedom is so immediate but I always feel like I should work harder. So, with music, even if I do it casually, I compare myself to people who make it their life and it makes me insecure and not want to pursue it even for fun. Weird and stupid. I mean, I’ve been working hard at guitar but do I really think I’m going to become a singer songwriter or a front man of a relevant band? Some part of me does. I guess that’s the fantasy. I need to get over it.
I played ‘out’ the other night. Brendon Small did one of his ‘Baked’ comedy shows where a comic tells a somewhat music-specific story and then you can sing or play or both with the amazing musicians he puts together. Last night it was Brendon on guitar, Joe Travers on drums, Pete Griffin on bass and Walter Ino on keyboard and guitar. I wanted to do ‘What Goes On’ by the Velvet Underground. I’d played it before in front of people but I wanted to do it again because my leads are getting better and I wanted to hit that lead note for note.
The rehearsal was at Walter the keyboard guy’s house. I had never been there. Wasn’t sure if it was the right place. No one was picking up their phone or responding to texts. I had my Nash Telecaster with me, no case, and I was sitting in my car losing my shit, again. I thought I wouldn’t get to rehearse. I acted like a child. Texted, ‘I’m out.’ And started to drive off. Then Brendon called, met me outside and we went in to play. I apologized for being a dick. We warmed up with literally three minutes of blues and I was so worked up and mad and caffeinated that I think I played the best I ever played. Then we played the song. It was perfect. Best I’ve ever done it, lead and all. Then I had five hours before the gig.
Long story short, I joined the band for the opening number of La Grange and nailed it. When I went up to do my song I had realized that most of the audience wouldn’t know it and we were at the Improv and a lot of them were there for a comedy show—they had no idea the show they were about to see. I was nervous. I did some bits, got some laughs and we went into the song. It sounded great. Then, we got to the lead and I CHOKED. I botched it. We came back around to it. I botched it again. No one would’ve known because I just jammed something else but not THE lead. So, instead of leaving it be I said, ‘Fuck, I’m going to get this lead.’ Then on the mic I said, ‘we have to stay in the song until I nail this thing.’ I did, but it was clearly not the cool-headed thing to do. I beat myself up for hours. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is I don’t think I can just play music casually. I need to start a serious band and do the work. Someday. Right.
Today on the show I talk to a very post-Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe. Great guy. Solid. On Thursday, I spent a little time with Aziz Ansari and talk about his new show AND I spend some time talking to bass badasses Robert Trujillo and Flea about Robert's film project ‘Jaco.’ It’s a doc about Jaco Pastorius. I don’t generally do these type of talks but we got a lot of other stuff in and I think it's an important story about an American genius that needs to be told and seen.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
November 9, 2015
Yes, Seriously.
Today is the day, Folks.
Today you will hear me talk to Lorne Michaels. It had to happen. It was much different than I thought it would be, of course.
I feel better.
On Thursday I talk to Elvis Costello.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
Today you will hear me talk to Lorne Michaels. It had to happen. It was much different than I thought it would be, of course.
I feel better.
On Thursday I talk to Elvis Costello.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
November 2, 2015
It’s Hit or Miss.
Hello, Folks!
Hope you had a fun Halloween. I didn’t really notice it until the first kid in a decade came by my house for candy. I didn’t have any. Almost had to give the little pirate some vinyl or maybe just pour some Puffins into her bag. Luckily I had some high end chocolate I snagged down in North Carolina. I’m not sure the kid will dig 70% Dark with Sea Salt but maybe she will. Maybe it will change her little life.
After the embarrassment of possibly enlightening the little pirate (but most likely disappointing her) I scrambled out to the Vons and grabbed a bag of Kit Kats that I am now in a standoff with. I’m happy to report that four other kids came by so the fight isn’t going to go on that long. There’s only half a bag left.
I was flattered and shocked that people tweeted pics of themselves dressed as me for Halloween. That is a scary costume. I imagine the downside of that costume is having to explain who I am to people that don’t know. I have to deal with that all the time. I would say one out of five people would be able to understand that costume. I hope that was a good experience for anyone who went out there dressed as me. Now you can know how it feels to be hanging with one person who is into you and four who are like ‘I’m sorry, I just don’t know who you are.' The number of people who don’t know me is probably much larger relatively speaking but I’m going with one out of five. I’m good with those numbers.
I’m actually fine with things exactly as they are externally. Internally, it’s hit or miss.
I’m a little down on myself at the moment and I have to track. Sometimes it just sneaks up on me while I’m sleeping. It’s weird and awful when things aren’t right in your head and your heart but everything seems to be going great. I’m not feeling sorry for myself or complaining. I know those of you who have been listening for a long time know that this isn’t uncommon for me. I guess just some days are internally shitty on occasion.
I think my mind and heart are wired for seasons. There’s a mode and tone to fall, a crispness that I look forward too. There’s a feeling to it that enables me to feel a slight melancholy and longing without going to down the hole. I think the fact that it was sunny and eighty here today is fucking with my internal seasonal clock. I’m at odds with the weather emotionally and the weather is good. Fucked up. I want to be reflective and nostalgic and a little dark but the sun if harshing my gloom buzz. I will wax poetic about the darkness that envelops me at times. I will try accept it but I will also do everything I can to avoid it and manage it when it happens. I should just learn to sit in it and watch it pass and not panic.
My mood might have had something to do with the dream I had last night or the movie I saw. I watched 99 Homes and it was pretty devastating. Great, but hardcore. Beautifully shot and acted and morally menacing without much redemption. I woke up feeling like I was a bad person. That’s a powerful film.
I had a great talk with Patricia Arquette that you can listen to today. She was intimidating to me but I don’t think you can tell. On Thursday I talk to James Corden. He was great as well. Fun and thoughtful. Good week on the show.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
Hope you had a fun Halloween. I didn’t really notice it until the first kid in a decade came by my house for candy. I didn’t have any. Almost had to give the little pirate some vinyl or maybe just pour some Puffins into her bag. Luckily I had some high end chocolate I snagged down in North Carolina. I’m not sure the kid will dig 70% Dark with Sea Salt but maybe she will. Maybe it will change her little life.
After the embarrassment of possibly enlightening the little pirate (but most likely disappointing her) I scrambled out to the Vons and grabbed a bag of Kit Kats that I am now in a standoff with. I’m happy to report that four other kids came by so the fight isn’t going to go on that long. There’s only half a bag left.
I was flattered and shocked that people tweeted pics of themselves dressed as me for Halloween. That is a scary costume. I imagine the downside of that costume is having to explain who I am to people that don’t know. I have to deal with that all the time. I would say one out of five people would be able to understand that costume. I hope that was a good experience for anyone who went out there dressed as me. Now you can know how it feels to be hanging with one person who is into you and four who are like ‘I’m sorry, I just don’t know who you are.' The number of people who don’t know me is probably much larger relatively speaking but I’m going with one out of five. I’m good with those numbers.
I’m actually fine with things exactly as they are externally. Internally, it’s hit or miss.
I’m a little down on myself at the moment and I have to track. Sometimes it just sneaks up on me while I’m sleeping. It’s weird and awful when things aren’t right in your head and your heart but everything seems to be going great. I’m not feeling sorry for myself or complaining. I know those of you who have been listening for a long time know that this isn’t uncommon for me. I guess just some days are internally shitty on occasion.
I think my mind and heart are wired for seasons. There’s a mode and tone to fall, a crispness that I look forward too. There’s a feeling to it that enables me to feel a slight melancholy and longing without going to down the hole. I think the fact that it was sunny and eighty here today is fucking with my internal seasonal clock. I’m at odds with the weather emotionally and the weather is good. Fucked up. I want to be reflective and nostalgic and a little dark but the sun if harshing my gloom buzz. I will wax poetic about the darkness that envelops me at times. I will try accept it but I will also do everything I can to avoid it and manage it when it happens. I should just learn to sit in it and watch it pass and not panic.
My mood might have had something to do with the dream I had last night or the movie I saw. I watched 99 Homes and it was pretty devastating. Great, but hardcore. Beautifully shot and acted and morally menacing without much redemption. I woke up feeling like I was a bad person. That’s a powerful film.
I had a great talk with Patricia Arquette that you can listen to today. She was intimidating to me but I don’t think you can tell. On Thursday I talk to James Corden. He was great as well. Fun and thoughtful. Good week on the show.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
October 26, 2015
I Need a Picnic.
Yes, People!
Yes, people. I am running out of ways to open this newsletter. So, I went with ‘Yes, People.’ I’m not yessing anything in particular. Just affirming, I guess.
I’m not cheap. I just think I have odd taste. Okay, maybe I’m a little cheap but if you don’t buy nice shit you don’t have to be heartbroken when it gets fucked up or lost or stolen or turns out to be cheap. I’ll get to the point. I threw out all of my old patio furniture because it was breaking and weather beaten Ikea stuff I’ve had for decade. It was embarrassing. If it wasn’t all breaking, I could’ve pushed it off as cool and almost antique but those weird hex keyed bolts that hold that shit together is a give away -- that and the breaking. It just looked like scary, dirty old garbage furniture that you didn’t want to sit on. So, my deck has been empty except for three scattered mismatched chairs, the ones that weren’t breaking. It looked kind of minimal but there’s a fine line between minimal and sad.
I looked at a bunch of patio stuff online. It’s always my first instinct to just replace what I had. That’s the easiest thing to do. Of course I was looking at the end of summer so there wasn’t a lot available. I looked at some fancier stuff and it just looked like run of the mill patio stuff. I like wood. I like it not to be too ornate. Then it hit me. I need a picnic. I need and old style, shitty, side of the road, campsite-style picnic table. That is the most practical thing and it would look cool. I kept telling myself that a picnic table would be hip. I was thinking out loud about it and on my birthday my girlfriend had one delivered. I had a fully-assembled, unpainted pine picnic table on my deck. Over the weekend I decided it needed to be stained red for it to have that classic campsite, roadside look, so we stained it red. Yes! I now have a red picnic table on my deck and three mismatched re-stained Ikea chairs and it is exactly what I wanted. I think I’ll invest in a nice umbrella. That will just make it perfect. Maybe not, though. Maybe I’ll leave it just like it is and I’ll pitch a tent out there. Camping.
Interesting shows this week. On Monday, I talk to Aaron Draplin. His company, Draplin Design Co., is pretty fucking groovy. I can’t remember how we were introduced but he’s an intense, self-made dude that makes cool shit. I wanted to talk to him. It seems out of my wheelhouse but it was great and I learned about someone else's passion for something I could understand but knew nothing about. On Thursday, I talk to the legendary record engineer, Steve Albini. Don’t call him a producer, he doesn’t like that. Even though he had his hands and fingers on the mixing board for some the best records ever he still sees himself as just an engineer there to make the band sound how they want to sound. Intense guy. Great talk.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
Yes, people. I am running out of ways to open this newsletter. So, I went with ‘Yes, People.’ I’m not yessing anything in particular. Just affirming, I guess.
I’m not cheap. I just think I have odd taste. Okay, maybe I’m a little cheap but if you don’t buy nice shit you don’t have to be heartbroken when it gets fucked up or lost or stolen or turns out to be cheap. I’ll get to the point. I threw out all of my old patio furniture because it was breaking and weather beaten Ikea stuff I’ve had for decade. It was embarrassing. If it wasn’t all breaking, I could’ve pushed it off as cool and almost antique but those weird hex keyed bolts that hold that shit together is a give away -- that and the breaking. It just looked like scary, dirty old garbage furniture that you didn’t want to sit on. So, my deck has been empty except for three scattered mismatched chairs, the ones that weren’t breaking. It looked kind of minimal but there’s a fine line between minimal and sad.
I looked at a bunch of patio stuff online. It’s always my first instinct to just replace what I had. That’s the easiest thing to do. Of course I was looking at the end of summer so there wasn’t a lot available. I looked at some fancier stuff and it just looked like run of the mill patio stuff. I like wood. I like it not to be too ornate. Then it hit me. I need a picnic. I need and old style, shitty, side of the road, campsite-style picnic table. That is the most practical thing and it would look cool. I kept telling myself that a picnic table would be hip. I was thinking out loud about it and on my birthday my girlfriend had one delivered. I had a fully-assembled, unpainted pine picnic table on my deck. Over the weekend I decided it needed to be stained red for it to have that classic campsite, roadside look, so we stained it red. Yes! I now have a red picnic table on my deck and three mismatched re-stained Ikea chairs and it is exactly what I wanted. I think I’ll invest in a nice umbrella. That will just make it perfect. Maybe not, though. Maybe I’ll leave it just like it is and I’ll pitch a tent out there. Camping.
Interesting shows this week. On Monday, I talk to Aaron Draplin. His company, Draplin Design Co., is pretty fucking groovy. I can’t remember how we were introduced but he’s an intense, self-made dude that makes cool shit. I wanted to talk to him. It seems out of my wheelhouse but it was great and I learned about someone else's passion for something I could understand but knew nothing about. On Thursday, I talk to the legendary record engineer, Steve Albini. Don’t call him a producer, he doesn’t like that. Even though he had his hands and fingers on the mixing board for some the best records ever he still sees himself as just an engineer there to make the band sound how they want to sound. Intense guy. Great talk.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
October 19, 2015
Crushed and Crashed.
Good day, Folks-
I will now stop pestering you about Australia because I’m back. It’s done. It was great. I want to thank everyone who came out to the shows for coming out. They were amazing shows. I think the shows there were some of the best I’ve ever done in my life.
I had absolutely no time to do anything while I was there. I left on Monday night from Los Angeles and arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday morning. I slept on-and-off on the plane, watched The Departed, Wolf of Wall Street and a third of the Godfather. Got off the the plane about 5am. Then the dream started. The strange thing about jet lag is you waver between two feelings. Sometimes you feel hungover but with nothing to regret. I guess if the trip doesn’t go well you can regret that, but mine went fine so I just felt queasy and lost. The other feeling is like waking consciousness. That is how I felt most of the time. Like it wasn’t quite a dream but I wasn’t awake either.
I got to the hotel and napped and wandered around a bit. I had TV to do and I didn’t quite have a sense of where I was. I’ve been to Melbourne a couple of times before but I could remember almost nothing. I must’ve felt the same way on those trips because it’s like a dream to me now-- fragments, bits and pieces of imagery, a meal or two. I was there for two weeks and I barely remember the shows. I remember they went well which is why I wanted to go back.
I had to do some TV the first night of this trip. I drank a bunch of coffee, ate a bunch of chocolate and got my brain humming hard and went to do The Live Project show. It’s a panel show. It went well. Talked about the Obama episode, got some laughs and got out. Crushed and crashed. Got up did a morning TV show then got a plane to Sydney. Got to the hotel, crashed, got up, ate shitload of chocolate, drank coffee and a couple Pepsi Max’s and did the show at The State Theatre. There were about 1200 people there. It’s a stunning old theater. I was nervous how it would go but it was an amazing show. I wandered through two hours of standup and it felt perfect.
The next morning I flew back to Melbourne, crashed, got up, coffee, chocolate, hit the stage at the Palais. Had about 1200 again. The Stones had played there in ’65. I wasn’t sure how it would feel. It was kind of a haunted old place in St. Kilda. Great crew there. Listened to loud AC/DC through the huge sound system before the doors opened. Got me in the right frame of mind. I did another two hour show, but tight. It was one of the best shows I have ever done. After, I had some amazing ramen and crashed.
Next day, flew to Brisbane. I had almost cancelled that show before I left because of low ticket sales but we were able to move it to a smaller venue and packed 375 people into it. It was at City Hall. Felt like a conference room. Thought it would be weird. It wasn’t. It was more intimate and emotionally raw but I did almost two hours again. It was sweet, connected.
All the people that came out to the shows were great. My openers Michael Hing, Anne Edmonds and Mel Buttle were all great.
Thanks, Australia. Now, I’m on a plane heading back and it all feels like a dream. Too short a trip, I’m leaving right as my body adjusted and now I’ll deal with lag on this side. Amazing trip.
A music week! Monday I talk to Mikal Cronin. I’ve loved his music for while now. He’s a pal of Ty Segall’s, they came up together. We had good talk. I also talk to Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus. I ran into him down at Permanent Records and told him to come by. Love their new record. On Thursday, the legendary James Taylor and I talk about all of it. I had no idea it would be such an amazing conversation.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
I will now stop pestering you about Australia because I’m back. It’s done. It was great. I want to thank everyone who came out to the shows for coming out. They were amazing shows. I think the shows there were some of the best I’ve ever done in my life.
I had absolutely no time to do anything while I was there. I left on Monday night from Los Angeles and arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday morning. I slept on-and-off on the plane, watched The Departed, Wolf of Wall Street and a third of the Godfather. Got off the the plane about 5am. Then the dream started. The strange thing about jet lag is you waver between two feelings. Sometimes you feel hungover but with nothing to regret. I guess if the trip doesn’t go well you can regret that, but mine went fine so I just felt queasy and lost. The other feeling is like waking consciousness. That is how I felt most of the time. Like it wasn’t quite a dream but I wasn’t awake either.
I got to the hotel and napped and wandered around a bit. I had TV to do and I didn’t quite have a sense of where I was. I’ve been to Melbourne a couple of times before but I could remember almost nothing. I must’ve felt the same way on those trips because it’s like a dream to me now-- fragments, bits and pieces of imagery, a meal or two. I was there for two weeks and I barely remember the shows. I remember they went well which is why I wanted to go back.
I had to do some TV the first night of this trip. I drank a bunch of coffee, ate a bunch of chocolate and got my brain humming hard and went to do The Live Project show. It’s a panel show. It went well. Talked about the Obama episode, got some laughs and got out. Crushed and crashed. Got up did a morning TV show then got a plane to Sydney. Got to the hotel, crashed, got up, ate shitload of chocolate, drank coffee and a couple Pepsi Max’s and did the show at The State Theatre. There were about 1200 people there. It’s a stunning old theater. I was nervous how it would go but it was an amazing show. I wandered through two hours of standup and it felt perfect.
The next morning I flew back to Melbourne, crashed, got up, coffee, chocolate, hit the stage at the Palais. Had about 1200 again. The Stones had played there in ’65. I wasn’t sure how it would feel. It was kind of a haunted old place in St. Kilda. Great crew there. Listened to loud AC/DC through the huge sound system before the doors opened. Got me in the right frame of mind. I did another two hour show, but tight. It was one of the best shows I have ever done. After, I had some amazing ramen and crashed.
Next day, flew to Brisbane. I had almost cancelled that show before I left because of low ticket sales but we were able to move it to a smaller venue and packed 375 people into it. It was at City Hall. Felt like a conference room. Thought it would be weird. It wasn’t. It was more intimate and emotionally raw but I did almost two hours again. It was sweet, connected.
All the people that came out to the shows were great. My openers Michael Hing, Anne Edmonds and Mel Buttle were all great.
Thanks, Australia. Now, I’m on a plane heading back and it all feels like a dream. Too short a trip, I’m leaving right as my body adjusted and now I’ll deal with lag on this side. Amazing trip.
A music week! Monday I talk to Mikal Cronin. I’ve loved his music for while now. He’s a pal of Ty Segall’s, they came up together. We had good talk. I also talk to Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus. I ran into him down at Permanent Records and told him to come by. Love their new record. On Thursday, the legendary James Taylor and I talk about all of it. I had no idea it would be such an amazing conversation.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
October 12, 2015
I’m Going to Do It This Time.
Good day, People!
I'm on my way to Australia. I want to thank the people with tickets ahead of time. If you don’t have your tickets and this is the first time you're hearing that I will be in Sydney on Thursday, Oct. 14, Melbourne on the 16th and Brisbane on the 17th, please grab your tickets. Links to all shows are available at wtfpod.com/calendar. No matter what happens, we will have some interesting shows. Looking forward to being there.
God, I hate flying. It is part of the gig but the energy it takes to sublimate my fear of take off is exhausting. I literally pass out just before the plane takes off. I used to assume it had something to do with the depressurization of the cabin but I’m starting to think it’s the nap of the neurotically exhausted. I’m usually okay after that, barring extreme turbulence. Shit, I don’t want to go now.
A therapist I used to see back in the early nineties in San Francisco recently contacted me. I had mentioned something he said to me back then on the podcast and I guess someone told him. So, he DMed me on Twitter, we exchanged emails and we met for dinner when he was down here in LA on business. It was wild to see someone I saw in that context more than twenty years later. I was excited to talk to him.
Sometimes it’s hard to see events that happen as part of a momentum that transcends coincidence. I have been very stressed out lately. I know that comes as no surprise if you know me but I shouldn’t be. Things are going good. I earn an honest living and I’m doing what I want to be doing. So, why the stress and insanity? I’m sure being back on the nicotine and coffee cycle does nothing to help anything. That and a lack of exercise routine is enough to cause insanity. Add a lapse of secret society meetings and you’ve got a perfect shit storm of escalating insanity. I have a brain that works in a specifically faulty way no matter what the externals are. It’s a drag. I am aware of it. Intensely aware. I need to take that next step to finding peace of mind and opening my heart more regularly. I know this.
But what has to happen? Well, after talking to my old therapist about his life and where it has taken him I had to heed the signs. He gave up private practice, did a lot of work in building family therapy centers and consulting in creating therapeutic environments and processes for effective family counseling and then went into private counseling for corporate workplaces. It was an impressive story and the one element that changed his life was MEDITATION. Now, I’ve been hearing about meditation from a few people whose work I respect and who are intelligent folks. Kismet! I tried it back in the day, kinda. I’ve thought about doing it. I don’t do a lot of things that would improve my inner life. WHY? Because it’s what I know. Insanity and chaos is my comfort zone. When I don’t have it in my external life I make it in my mind. I’m tired of it. I’m going to meditate. I’m going to do it this time. I downloaded an app so I’m more than halfway there. I keep you in the loop.
I am thrilled to have my first playwright on the show today. I talked to Annie Baker about her work and being awarded the Pulitzer last year. I saw two of her plays in NYC over the last few months. I was excited to talk to her. On Thursday I talk to Mike Epps about playing Richard Pryor in an upcoming biopic and about how he got to where he is. Good talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
I'm on my way to Australia. I want to thank the people with tickets ahead of time. If you don’t have your tickets and this is the first time you're hearing that I will be in Sydney on Thursday, Oct. 14, Melbourne on the 16th and Brisbane on the 17th, please grab your tickets. Links to all shows are available at wtfpod.com/calendar. No matter what happens, we will have some interesting shows. Looking forward to being there.
God, I hate flying. It is part of the gig but the energy it takes to sublimate my fear of take off is exhausting. I literally pass out just before the plane takes off. I used to assume it had something to do with the depressurization of the cabin but I’m starting to think it’s the nap of the neurotically exhausted. I’m usually okay after that, barring extreme turbulence. Shit, I don’t want to go now.
A therapist I used to see back in the early nineties in San Francisco recently contacted me. I had mentioned something he said to me back then on the podcast and I guess someone told him. So, he DMed me on Twitter, we exchanged emails and we met for dinner when he was down here in LA on business. It was wild to see someone I saw in that context more than twenty years later. I was excited to talk to him.
Sometimes it’s hard to see events that happen as part of a momentum that transcends coincidence. I have been very stressed out lately. I know that comes as no surprise if you know me but I shouldn’t be. Things are going good. I earn an honest living and I’m doing what I want to be doing. So, why the stress and insanity? I’m sure being back on the nicotine and coffee cycle does nothing to help anything. That and a lack of exercise routine is enough to cause insanity. Add a lapse of secret society meetings and you’ve got a perfect shit storm of escalating insanity. I have a brain that works in a specifically faulty way no matter what the externals are. It’s a drag. I am aware of it. Intensely aware. I need to take that next step to finding peace of mind and opening my heart more regularly. I know this.
But what has to happen? Well, after talking to my old therapist about his life and where it has taken him I had to heed the signs. He gave up private practice, did a lot of work in building family therapy centers and consulting in creating therapeutic environments and processes for effective family counseling and then went into private counseling for corporate workplaces. It was an impressive story and the one element that changed his life was MEDITATION. Now, I’ve been hearing about meditation from a few people whose work I respect and who are intelligent folks. Kismet! I tried it back in the day, kinda. I’ve thought about doing it. I don’t do a lot of things that would improve my inner life. WHY? Because it’s what I know. Insanity and chaos is my comfort zone. When I don’t have it in my external life I make it in my mind. I’m tired of it. I’m going to meditate. I’m going to do it this time. I downloaded an app so I’m more than halfway there. I keep you in the loop.
I am thrilled to have my first playwright on the show today. I talked to Annie Baker about her work and being awarded the Pulitzer last year. I saw two of her plays in NYC over the last few months. I was excited to talk to her. On Thursday I talk to Mike Epps about playing Richard Pryor in an upcoming biopic and about how he got to where he is. Good talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
October 5, 2015
We Barely Made It Out.
Greetings, People!
Australia next week! We will have a good time no matter how how many people decided to come. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. October 15th, 16th and 17th! Check dates and links to tickets at wtfpod.com/calendar. Come if you can!
I was just in Raleigh, NC. The woman I am seeing, Sarah Cain, had a big art opening there at CAM Raleigh. I flew down to be there. She did a work on site. She painted the fuck out the place and it is pretty amazing. It’s moving to be thoroughly impressed and surprised by the work your partner does. I had seen a couple of her previous works on site before. They were great but this was some next level shit. I know her pretty well. I guess as well as someone knows someone they have been seeing a year. But how can you really know what a creative person is capable of or what is inside a creative person until they put it out into the world. I sat there with her before her opening and took it in and was moved to tears. It’s hard to say whether or not it was pride or awe or actually being moved by the massive colorful abstractions. It was probably a combination of the three and maybe a couple of other things. It was intense. I like being with someone who does something so outside of my wheelhouse that I don’t feel insecure or threatened by it. I could never do what she does. Sadly, sometimes it takes that for me to be able to appreciate something. If you live in that area or if you find yourself in Raleigh you should check it out. The show runs through January 3rd.
We barely made it out of Raleigh to come to NYC. At least it seemed like we barely made it out. The weather forecasts last week lead me to believe that I might not ever get out of NC. The foreboding possibility of a hurricane that seemed like it might destroy the entire Eastern seaboard was all anyone could talk about. I was ready to start looking at houses there.
It’s weird when you live in LA how relieving it is spend some time in a wet place that just seems to have water around and it's taken for granted. I’ve never surrendered to and enjoyed torrential downpours so much. It seems that LA is just slowly baking with no marinade and we’re all going to dry up there. It’s apocalyptic and frightening. I fantasize about living in a wet, rainy place.
I’m in NYC. I did the New Yorker festival where I was interviewed by Kelefa Sanneh. That went well. I’m heading out to Princeton to do a lecture on… me… I guess. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m in the same hall that Einstein presented his Theory of Relativity. So, no pressure.
Speaking of art, I had a pretty revelatory talk with Peaches on Monday. I knew very little about her other then she puts it all out there and is very provocative in a sometimes challenging and off-putting-but-hilarious way. It was good getting to know her. On Thursday I talk to British blues legend John Mayall about music and many of the rock legends that started in his band. I also spend a little time with The Sporkful’s Dan Pashman. We go back to the Air America days. It’s always entertaining to put Dan on the spot about food, or anything, really.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
Australia next week! We will have a good time no matter how how many people decided to come. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. October 15th, 16th and 17th! Check dates and links to tickets at wtfpod.com/calendar. Come if you can!
I was just in Raleigh, NC. The woman I am seeing, Sarah Cain, had a big art opening there at CAM Raleigh. I flew down to be there. She did a work on site. She painted the fuck out the place and it is pretty amazing. It’s moving to be thoroughly impressed and surprised by the work your partner does. I had seen a couple of her previous works on site before. They were great but this was some next level shit. I know her pretty well. I guess as well as someone knows someone they have been seeing a year. But how can you really know what a creative person is capable of or what is inside a creative person until they put it out into the world. I sat there with her before her opening and took it in and was moved to tears. It’s hard to say whether or not it was pride or awe or actually being moved by the massive colorful abstractions. It was probably a combination of the three and maybe a couple of other things. It was intense. I like being with someone who does something so outside of my wheelhouse that I don’t feel insecure or threatened by it. I could never do what she does. Sadly, sometimes it takes that for me to be able to appreciate something. If you live in that area or if you find yourself in Raleigh you should check it out. The show runs through January 3rd.
We barely made it out of Raleigh to come to NYC. At least it seemed like we barely made it out. The weather forecasts last week lead me to believe that I might not ever get out of NC. The foreboding possibility of a hurricane that seemed like it might destroy the entire Eastern seaboard was all anyone could talk about. I was ready to start looking at houses there.
It’s weird when you live in LA how relieving it is spend some time in a wet place that just seems to have water around and it's taken for granted. I’ve never surrendered to and enjoyed torrential downpours so much. It seems that LA is just slowly baking with no marinade and we’re all going to dry up there. It’s apocalyptic and frightening. I fantasize about living in a wet, rainy place.
I’m in NYC. I did the New Yorker festival where I was interviewed by Kelefa Sanneh. That went well. I’m heading out to Princeton to do a lecture on… me… I guess. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m in the same hall that Einstein presented his Theory of Relativity. So, no pressure.
Speaking of art, I had a pretty revelatory talk with Peaches on Monday. I knew very little about her other then she puts it all out there and is very provocative in a sometimes challenging and off-putting-but-hilarious way. It was good getting to know her. On Thursday I talk to British blues legend John Mayall about music and many of the rock legends that started in his band. I also spend a little time with The Sporkful’s Dan Pashman. We go back to the Air America days. It’s always entertaining to put Dan on the spot about food, or anything, really.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
September 28, 2015
Some Things Have Leveled Off
Birthday time, People! Damn.
Somehow or another I’ve done it again. I’ve lived. Another year has passed and I am now fifty-fucking-two years old. I feel okay. Most things are going well. I understand that. There is part of my brain that insists that isn’t quite the case and has other plans. I am in damage control mode when there is no crisis. Exhausting. I have to figure out another mode.
It’s strange and I seem to be talking about it a lot one way or the other but I am getting older and sometimes I don’t know what to do with my life. I have spent so much of it driving myself crazy and pushing towards something and trying to make something work. I had a lot of faith that once I achieved whatever I was trying to do I would be all better. Now, some things have leveled off. I’ve achieved so much of what I set out to do and I am proud of it and grateful for it. I have to say I wonder what happens now. Do I just keep pushing or is there a time where I enjoy life? Or can I do them simultaneously? Or am I actually enjoying life? It seems that it should be clearer to me. More apparent.
Is it strange that I fantasize about moving off the cultural grid? Not the actual grid, just the draining, desperate, frustrated clutter of the end of civilization. You know, CONTENT! Media cancer. Clickbait. The grand fragmented distraction that people base their tragic, shallow perception on. I can't take it. That and fucking traffic. Yeah, I just would like to be on an island somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Sitting. Thinking, Walking around. Breathing. Figuring out what is important and what joy is. Is that a crazy dream? Maybe I can try it for a week. See how it goes. Maybe I’ll just keep it as a fantasy.
This week I talk to a man that grew up in show business and now has a very diverse career in it. Jake Kasdan, son of Lawrence, talks to me in the garage on Monday about directing, writing and producing. On Thursday the perfect Michaela Watkins. Amazing actress, amazing person and hilarious. Love her.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
Somehow or another I’ve done it again. I’ve lived. Another year has passed and I am now fifty-fucking-two years old. I feel okay. Most things are going well. I understand that. There is part of my brain that insists that isn’t quite the case and has other plans. I am in damage control mode when there is no crisis. Exhausting. I have to figure out another mode.
It’s strange and I seem to be talking about it a lot one way or the other but I am getting older and sometimes I don’t know what to do with my life. I have spent so much of it driving myself crazy and pushing towards something and trying to make something work. I had a lot of faith that once I achieved whatever I was trying to do I would be all better. Now, some things have leveled off. I’ve achieved so much of what I set out to do and I am proud of it and grateful for it. I have to say I wonder what happens now. Do I just keep pushing or is there a time where I enjoy life? Or can I do them simultaneously? Or am I actually enjoying life? It seems that it should be clearer to me. More apparent.
Is it strange that I fantasize about moving off the cultural grid? Not the actual grid, just the draining, desperate, frustrated clutter of the end of civilization. You know, CONTENT! Media cancer. Clickbait. The grand fragmented distraction that people base their tragic, shallow perception on. I can't take it. That and fucking traffic. Yeah, I just would like to be on an island somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Sitting. Thinking, Walking around. Breathing. Figuring out what is important and what joy is. Is that a crazy dream? Maybe I can try it for a week. See how it goes. Maybe I’ll just keep it as a fantasy.
This week I talk to a man that grew up in show business and now has a very diverse career in it. Jake Kasdan, son of Lawrence, talks to me in the garage on Monday about directing, writing and producing. On Thursday the perfect Michaela Watkins. Amazing actress, amazing person and hilarious. Love her.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
September 21, 2015
Large In My Psyche and Heart.
It’s only rock and roll, people.
I’m a little out of my mind. I have no idea how to relax. Of course, I don’t do much to try either, so I guess I can’t complain. I assume eventually, if I don’t die, I will wear down and be humbled into an aggravated calmness by time. I really need to make a decision around that. Like, should being calm and peaceful and in pursuit of joy and happiness be part of my life? Are those things important? Are they possible? Are they even good things? I don’t know. I’m amped up to think about it. Exhaustion is the closest I get to calm. Manic excitement is the closest I get to joy. Relief is the closest I get to happiness.
I like to play guitar.
So, this week is a big week. Well, a few weeks ago was really when the big day happened. I think some of you know that Keith Richards looms large in my psyche and heart. I don’t think I am alone in that. There are those of us who idolized the outlaw rock and roll image that he created and upheld. He was rock and roll to me when I was a kid. It wasn’t even about the music. It was just Keith. He was a human fuck you. I was fortunate in that I didn’t pursue the life that he represented so deeply that I died or, even more tragic, pursued a life in music. I say that because I just wasn’t cut out for it, and I was not a good enough player to do either. Or I probably just wasn’t a confident enough player to do it. Being in a rock band was not the direction my ego was dragging me and I think I am grateful for that. It did drag me down a drug hole but my conscience and heart always threw me a line if I got too far out.
The fact was, for years, Keith was a menacing mystery, king of the laid back riff of rhythm. It actually has taken me a lifetime to understand why he was and is so great at guitar. It took me years to understand his magic. It wasn’t until after I read his book that I realized that he was one of the great hyper-intelligent bullshit spinners of our time. There was plenty of hard truth, fact and history in there, but that guy can tell a story. He isn’t some brain-dead dope fiend. So, when the opportunity to talk to him for ten minutes happened I nearly lost my shit. Now, the opportunity to talk to him for an hour happened and… I did lose my shit. I was full of fanboy excitement that usually levels off after about ten minutes. Not this time. It just kept going. I did something with Keith that I hadn’t done in years, but I had to. There was really no choice. You’ll hear.
We did the interview at NPR in NYC. Keith was there to do Morning Edition and we were able to use the studio after. It was an amazing moment waiting around for Keith to finish that interview and a woman coming down the hall saying, ‘He’s smoking in there,' with a bit of panic in her voice. Everyone who heard her say it just stood there. Clearly no one was going to ask Keith to put his cigarette out.
So, enjoy Keith on Monday and on Thursday the slightly irascible and outspoken Nick DiPaolo talks to me during one of my visits to NYC. I’ve known Nick since I started. He’s an acquired taste. Not for the faint-hearted, pearl clutching crowd.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
I’m a little out of my mind. I have no idea how to relax. Of course, I don’t do much to try either, so I guess I can’t complain. I assume eventually, if I don’t die, I will wear down and be humbled into an aggravated calmness by time. I really need to make a decision around that. Like, should being calm and peaceful and in pursuit of joy and happiness be part of my life? Are those things important? Are they possible? Are they even good things? I don’t know. I’m amped up to think about it. Exhaustion is the closest I get to calm. Manic excitement is the closest I get to joy. Relief is the closest I get to happiness.
I like to play guitar.
So, this week is a big week. Well, a few weeks ago was really when the big day happened. I think some of you know that Keith Richards looms large in my psyche and heart. I don’t think I am alone in that. There are those of us who idolized the outlaw rock and roll image that he created and upheld. He was rock and roll to me when I was a kid. It wasn’t even about the music. It was just Keith. He was a human fuck you. I was fortunate in that I didn’t pursue the life that he represented so deeply that I died or, even more tragic, pursued a life in music. I say that because I just wasn’t cut out for it, and I was not a good enough player to do either. Or I probably just wasn’t a confident enough player to do it. Being in a rock band was not the direction my ego was dragging me and I think I am grateful for that. It did drag me down a drug hole but my conscience and heart always threw me a line if I got too far out.
The fact was, for years, Keith was a menacing mystery, king of the laid back riff of rhythm. It actually has taken me a lifetime to understand why he was and is so great at guitar. It took me years to understand his magic. It wasn’t until after I read his book that I realized that he was one of the great hyper-intelligent bullshit spinners of our time. There was plenty of hard truth, fact and history in there, but that guy can tell a story. He isn’t some brain-dead dope fiend. So, when the opportunity to talk to him for ten minutes happened I nearly lost my shit. Now, the opportunity to talk to him for an hour happened and… I did lose my shit. I was full of fanboy excitement that usually levels off after about ten minutes. Not this time. It just kept going. I did something with Keith that I hadn’t done in years, but I had to. There was really no choice. You’ll hear.
We did the interview at NPR in NYC. Keith was there to do Morning Edition and we were able to use the studio after. It was an amazing moment waiting around for Keith to finish that interview and a woman coming down the hall saying, ‘He’s smoking in there,' with a bit of panic in her voice. Everyone who heard her say it just stood there. Clearly no one was going to ask Keith to put his cigarette out.
So, enjoy Keith on Monday and on Thursday the slightly irascible and outspoken Nick DiPaolo talks to me during one of my visits to NYC. I’ve known Nick since I started. He’s an acquired taste. Not for the faint-hearted, pearl clutching crowd.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron
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