The Bender Continues
Everyday bros talking about how life goes!
The Bender Continues
Miami Music Week
Step back in time with us as we recount the electric thrills of the Ultra Music Festival, the heart of Miami's EDM scene. The city's pulse matched the BPMs, and in this episode, we share it all - from the secret lives of confetti machine operators to the bittersweet memories of Ultra's 2019 move and 2020's silence. We jack into the global circuit, from Tomorrowland's fairy-tale spectacle to EDC's neon paradise, and bow to the timeless anthem "Levels" that defined our love for this unstoppable genre.
Feel the bass drop and the crowd surge as we relive the most epic concert experiences and the DJs who masterminded them. Each beat syncs with a story of personal encounters, from Nervo's dynamic sets to the late Mac Miller's poignant lyrics, all painting a vibrant picture of our collective musical journey. As we scrutinize the evolution of EDM's superstars, from Martin Garrix's meteoric rise to Marshmello's masked mystique, we pull back the curtain on the real-time artistry of live DJing versus the polished precision of studio recordings.
Our soundtrack doesn't stop at EDM; it's a kaleidoscope of karaoke belters, country tunes, and even the occasional Disney melody that powers our daily grind. Discover the eclectic soundscapes that fuel our productivity, the podcasts that guide our walks, and the karaoke classics that we can't help but belt out. Journeys through sound await, from the meditative power of spoken word to the shared nostalgia of college party anthems - every beat, lyric, and melody a chapter in the story of our lives.
We are back. Love it, ty. Big week for the city of Miami, big week for the EDM community. Used to be a real big week for us.
Kenny Massa:Back in the day I love me some good EDM though.
Jonny Strahl:Good times.
Kenny Massa:Remember when they were going to move it from Miami? Yeah, wasn't that a thing? Ultra.
James LaGamma:No, but where were they?
Kenny Massa:Like an island or something Like that didn't go well. What was?
Ryan Selimos:that party on the island the Fire.
Jonny Strahl:Festival, fire Festival. That's the whole dude. That guy's back he is. They're trying to do another one.
Kenny Massa:Fire Festival V2,. But I don't know, people were like stranded out there and shit.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, the sandwiches. It was like that whole Netflix special yeah.
Kenny Massa:That's great, yeah sure.
Ryan Selimos:No, I don't remember where they were going to move it.
Kenny Massa:I just remember it was because it's deep in downtown Miami and it's just hard to maneuver around there. But I mean it's an awesome time We've all been, so it's an awesome time down there. But I think the city had just with everybody coming in I don't know how many people, but I think it's very large. Probably people around the world go to that thing. So 100,000 plus people in a weekend.
Ryan Selimos:Miami was getting overrun.
James LaGamma:It was loud as shit Like right in the center of Miami. I mean yes.
Jonny Strahl:Didn't they move it from Bayfront for a little bit and then? They have the complaints and all that.
Kenny Massa:Here you go Ultra Music Festival Festival in Miami, particularly because Ultra is other places around the world has 170,000 plus visitors in that what it's really? A two day, three day festival. Yeah, three day, three day, so 170,000 plus people.
Jonny Strahl:Well, for those that don't know, miami Music Week is officially this week, and then Ultra Music Festival falls on the same week, which is typically a Friday, saturday and Sunday, which I believe is what the 22nd through the 24th this year for Ultra Music Festival Correct. Good times, good vibes. So we're going to give you guys our thoughts on Ultra EDM, the festival life, our background, how we're feeling 10 years removed.
Kenny Massa:We had backstage passes. That was awesome. Thanks to Bobby.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, well, technically we were working it, we were working the event. Yeah, I did that confetti machine.
Kenny Massa:Shit was crazy.
Jonny Strahl:Was it a confetti machine or was it a fire?
Kenny Massa:Well, bobby did something else, but I did the confetti machine Like I had like fucking dump bags of confetti. He was like she was nuts. It was awesome. Where was this? Yeah, ultra, what year 2000.
Ryan Selimos:You did not work any confetti machine.
Jonny Strahl:I think you're getting confused with the different event that Bobby took.
James LaGamma:I thought that was EDC. No, it was Ultra. Hey, if you went to Ultra twice, that's cool.
Kenny Massa:We went in order to get backstage passes. We had to work for like a two-year time.
Ryan Selimos:No, we did not. We did not do one ounce of work.
James LaGamma:We fucking partied our faces off.
Kenny Massa:No, I'm pretty sure it was all yes dude, because I drove us every free time.
James LaGamma:Kenny, you're getting confused with a different event it might have been Miami Like the heat because he used to do the pyrotechnics for the heat. You guys didn't do anything.
Kenny Massa:Well, we did the pyrotechnics for the heat too. Yes, we did Not we.
James LaGamma:There's no we. Oh, you went too.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, oh, I didn't know you weren't, that was cool that was cool If I was a basketball fan, I probably would have been a lot more enthusiastic about it because I was like five feet from people.
Ryan Selimos:Literally, and that's when they had the big three. On the court we're not going to get into basketball but the point is, you did not do confetti during Ultra.
James LaGamma:At least what we were doing. I guess I did, I didn't, I did, I did not I didn't, and we were with you the entire time. Yes, because you, we see people with us.
Ryan Selimos:Kenny, yes, we stayed at Bobby's place. James drove us down there every day. You never worked confetti. Now maybe you did at EDC, like he said, which is also a music festival, but when? We went to ultra you did not do any confetti.
James LaGamma:I think you worked at EDC Bobby's up.
Ryan Selimos:He was texting me this morning.
James LaGamma:You're going to find out, right now, all right, he's not going to answer. While he's doing that, the suspense is building. In. 2019 is when Ultra was in Virginia, key Beach. And in 2020, it got canceled because of COVID I forgot about that.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, that's true.
Kenny Massa:Yo, I got a quick question for you. Hey, do you remember when we did the pyrotechnics and stuff, was that Ultra or was that EDC? When we did the confetti machines? Ultra, ultra, miami. Fuck you guys. All right, I win. Was it the same time that?
Ryan Selimos:We went to EDC, but we didn't do the pyrotechnics. That was the first year that we all went there. That was when.
Kenny Massa:James, threw the shit out of the floor. Yeah, and we did not do pyrotechnics there. Yeah, you threw the shit out of the floor, yeah.
Ryan Selimos:That was when we rested the pyrotechnics, but we didn't do anything where we kind of helped out the other.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, we did the confetti. Remember we had to empty the bags of confetti into this blower and it just went everywhere. Yeah, that was that Ultra.
Ryan Selimos:What did Ryan and James do? We didn't do that. What?
Kenny Massa:did Ryan and James do while he's on the floor? Ryan and James did nothing, right? I don't remember. It crossed. Most likely, yeah, most likely. They did nothing. I remember vividly that I was pouring things into a machine. Bobby was like pulling this cord, that like made this thing like open up. Yeah, no, and that was Ultra, that's the confetti machine. Yeah, okay, all right, thank you, I'll call you later, later, later.
James LaGamma:Our first guest.
Kenny Massa:ladies and gentlemen, Bobby Jalby, bobby Jalby, thank you, man, right there, that's awesome. Yeah, I remember it was Ultra, because I remember, right after that Ultra's like on the water right there, yeah, because it's big and then, like you can walk in the backstage portion there's like tons of yachts back there, but you can walk like on like a sidewalk, but it's behind all of these stages and then literally right there is like all the yachts that are just chilling out there. And I remember vividly walking back there and going through that.
Ryan Selimos:James. We must have been on the yacht. That's buddy. We were out there scoping out the yachts while they were doing the work. Let's be real, ryan.
James LaGamma:I probably sniffed out some food and was eating.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, that was cool, but yeah, so Ultra was cool. The backstage portion was very unique for like a first time experience.
Ryan Selimos:It was just awesome all around Deadmau5's front row.
Kenny Massa:Deadmau5's. At the time it was like Cruella. That's very awesome. All right, guys, we got to work out. Uh, steve Iochi was so obviously big and still is.
James LaGamma:We got to yes, so first round out front row. That was freaking sick, that was dead mass. Both we did too. We did too.
Kenny Massa:And remember it was so big like you can turn around and literally look at like the wave of people. Yeah, the only way to get out of it was to literally get over the fence and get kicked out by security. Yeah, that was it. That was. The only way to leave is to get kicked out.
James LaGamma:That was yeah, I remember, I think, one of the nights we were like one of the last people to actually leave Bayfront because it's Saturday, we couldn't. Yeah and B, I think we had to help out something like cleanup or something in some way, and when?
Ryan Selimos:we went. Correct me if I'm wrong. That's when they did it two weekends, because it was like 10 year anniversary or something. They had two back to back weekends and we went to two weeks in a row? Yeah, we went to the second weekend because when we got back to Stetson, Swedish house mafia was playing their quote unquote.
James LaGamma:Final that was the dumbest mistake we've ever made. I know we should have stayed.
Jonny Strahl:We should have. That was Sunday night, right yeah? Well, you guys couldn't, because we had football.
Ryan Selimos:We had that.
Jonny Strahl:That's why we should have stayed.
Ryan Selimos:Sorry, coach, can't make it back yet.
James LaGamma:Well, we watched how did we not think of that? We totally could have wasted it Flat tire we did get to watch it.
Ryan Selimos:We watched it from.
James LaGamma:We streamed it.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, and the pie, yeah, yes, yeah, yeah, fucking, blowing up the speed.
James LaGamma:We had to fucking the. He's coming yeah.
Kenny Massa:We did stream it. I remember that. I think you set that whole thing up. Yeah, that was cool, and you did your room too, and we had like lights and stuff and there was like an EDC. Maybe there was EDC, not ultra, though you did that.
James LaGamma:I thought it every time.
Ryan Selimos:Every ultra Dude it was in his car, Everywhere he got touched.
Kenny Massa:There were different light shows. Yeah, community centers.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, just seeing his football locker. It had lights too Swear.
Jonny Strahl:I remember his car, it might have.
Kenny Massa:His car just lit up. Inside it was like a.
Ryan Selimos:Christmas train inside that thing, but it's just so, so many people.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, it is Well here I have a couple of fun facts on that, though, because I was looking that up earlier, because that's probably the biggest event that personally I've ever been to, and probably the same for you guys. Ultra, as far as like a EDM.
James LaGamma:How many people are?
Kenny Massa:Oh, EDM, yes, for sure 170,000 plus and it just continues to grow. But and I've heard of Tomorrowland Tomorrowland in Belgium attends 600,000 plus people over the course of a week. It is a longer event, but 600,000 plus and that's Tomorrowland in Belgium. Number two is actually EDC Las Vegas, with 410,000 plus people, which is insane. So EDC Las Vegas is two.
James LaGamma:That would be cool, since we love Vegas so much. Yes, we do.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, number three is Sunburn Festival in India, which is 300,000 plus attendees.
Ryan Selimos:I've never heard of that one before. And that's.
Kenny Massa:I think a one day event so pretty crazy On Told Festival in Romania with 240,000 plus attendees, and then for number five, mysteryland in Netherlands with 180,000 plus, yeah, I mean just pretty crazy. There's a lot of people that attend these events and it's a global affair Like it's. I mean, you just, we just hopped from country to country there with the top five Tomorrowland's in Belgium.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, yeah.
James LaGamma:I thought it was in what's any Bitha?
Jonny Strahl:A Bitha? Yeah, they just. They've got just a lot of I thought they had a major festival, but I could be wrong.
Kenny Massa:Well, let's see here I have the top 10 here, but let's see, so six would be in Tokyo, ultra Japan.
James LaGamma:Ultra has so many across the world. Yeah, ultra definitely has on the top 10. Brazil, japan they have one in Europe.
Kenny Massa:DWP. In Indonesia, ultra Miami is eight Creamfields. In England Creamfields is cool.
Ty Moss:Is nine which?
James LaGamma:looks amazing Fun name.
Kenny Massa:And then Zocow Festival in Singapore, which is 45,000 plus. So I think Ibiza is more just the consistency.
James LaGamma:I thought Tomorrowland was there or had been there at some point, but I don't know.
Kenny Massa:Like I've been there.
James LaGamma:Maybe I'm just thinking of Vici.
Kenny Massa:Yeah.
James LaGamma:For now for that guy. Yeah, he was. He's the one that got me into EDM.
Jonny Strahl:Got some bangers for sure. I watched.
James LaGamma:Ultra 2011. I think it's right when he came out with levels.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, 2011. Yeah, levels is in the 21st.
James LaGamma:Yeah, that's when I watched him and I was hooked ever since then.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, edc Las Vegas is crazy because they go to like 530 in the morning Like the main stage people Like normal clubs.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, well, it also helps that, like Vegas and the surrounding areas, like that place doesn't close down anyway. So, everything around there is like just open all the time anyway. So that helps. Like in Miami it does close down a little bit, a little bit more. I mean South Beach is a little bit different, but like but it's not in South Beach.
Ryan Selimos:That's the difference. It's in Bay, it's in right by Bayside, at Bay.
Kenny Massa:Which is the difference with Vegas, if it can go through till the morning and everything is open all the time, yeah, but it's at the motor, uh, the motor speedway, like it's inside the field, which is dope.
Jonny Strahl:That thing is crazy. But yeah, ultra is cool. I mean they close, that, they stop it at two right, just because of like the, the time and the city has a city. They could go all night too especially because people go to like space and whatnot right after too, which Get from me and you want to get into that.
Kenny Massa:You also have to think, though, they're running multiple stages at the same time. Yeah, I had an ultra, I mean stages.
Jonny Strahl:it was like a handful Got to be six to eight easily. Yeah, I thought my.
Kenny Massa:The number I had in my head was seven, but I don't remember.
Ryan Selimos:Perfect by the middle yeah.
Kenny Massa:Perfect Seven, seven ish, but I mean that's a lot of shit going on, and once you're at one stage, getting to the other ones are like impossible.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah.
Ryan Selimos:So, I thought it was very interesting. I was just checking out their site and prep for this and they have a sustainability tab and I said, well, let's, let's go just check this out, because I didn't put ultra and sustainability together and there was a leave no trace section where they're advertising. Never, ever litter, keep your group areas clean. I'm just thinking this is the biggest fucking party in the world. Ain't nobody thinking about this like just the actual mess after one of these things. It's just very interesting that it was publicized on their page.
James LaGamma:I made sure to recycle when I was there. Well, good for you, james, well done and just throw my shit on the floor.
Kenny Massa:I don't, I don't, I don't. I didn't have anything else on the floor, I didn't drink, for, like I didn't drink a lot, you couldn't get a drink, I threw some sick dance moves on the floor baby.
Ryan Selimos:No, you, then you couldn't.
James LaGamma:I was like this when you were on the way back. You can shuffle and do all that stupid shit Shuffle.
Ty Moss:Everyday I was like this up and down.
Kenny Massa:That's about all you got yeah, your shoulders are sore after doing all the fist bumping.
James LaGamma:There's so many.
Ryan Selimos:If you could get your arm up. Yeah, by the time you get your arm up you're like elbowing someone in the head on the way up.
Kenny Massa:It's just crazy.
James LaGamma:People are on people's shoulders and it's just insane.
Kenny Massa:But hey, the party doesn't stop. I mean we were literally three weeks ago. We were at Steve Aoki. So yeah, three weeks ago, four weeks ago.
James LaGamma:I think the craziest part about like these clubs and like the music and like just live music in general is like the sound is so different, like you try like people put subwoofers in their cars trying to get really loud and like, like really feel it.
James LaGamma:But let me tell you, my heart, my whole body, everything was shaking with those subwoofers. I mean it's insane. But it feels really cool Like you're there. It kind of keeps you more upbeat. Obviously, I think there's a couple like movies and stuff where they what is it Johnny, you're probably helping out on this the like beats per minute, like you can kind of help like it kind of people's heartbeats to kind of like almost match up with the music when you're doing EDM. It's kind of crazy.
Jonny Strahl:On 28 BPM yeah.
James LaGamma:Your ears are just ringing for days after, because you're sure these speakers are just the size of this. It's so loud, they're insane.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, it's really really cool it is and the fact that you can still actually hear like the audio piece of it all is insane also, especially with like the bass and whatnot. When you guys were there in 2013 at Ultra, that's when like Cruella was taken off right.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, big time. Yeah, they were big time.
Jonny Strahl:Geez, what other like ones that you guys have either seen live or just streaming. What other big DJs or what DJs do you guys like to see or watch, didn't we see?
James LaGamma:Nervo.
Kenny Massa:Nervo.
Ty Moss:In Live. That was good. Yeah, it was fun.
James LaGamma:We saw Afrojack at EDC.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah for Orlando, yeah we did I mean obviously we've been challenged.
James LaGamma:Dezmous, dezmous, tiesto. I think we saw Lesso, no, no, I don't remember.
Kenny Massa:We definitely saw Cruella while we were there, we definitely saw that. I remember vividly being at the stage and they were out there.
James LaGamma:I think we saw. Did we see Marshmallow in Orlando that one time?
Ryan Selimos:That was the last time we were at an EDM quote unquote festival concert was, and we had moved you two into your apartment all fucking day, and then we went to the festival at night.
Jonny Strahl:I don't think I was there, for that Marshmallow was there too. It was Marshmallow Then what's that or? Mac Miller was there.
Ryan Selimos:Yes, yeah, that was when he was dating Ariana Grande, you know.
Kenny Massa:I saw Mac Miller. I've seen Mac.
James LaGamma:Miller twice. I saw him live in Fort Lauderdale when he was on the up and coming.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, I saw him down in South Florida too.
Jonny Strahl:Who is the other guy with Marshmallow? They always did things together, or like they would always do sets back to back. He had like blue hair, but he was taken off at that time too. Oh my God.
James LaGamma:I mean, we mentioned Blau. We saw Blau in college which is dope.
Jonny Strahl:That was frigging sick Blau, you're the man. What is the name he took my GoPro on stage.
James LaGamma:That was wild.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, I'll see if I can find that video. All 500 of us in the crowd, yeah, like the whole school, was there the whole school was like 2000 people total.
James LaGamma:Yeah, and our gym was insane. The basketball gym was nice and we were here robust as before him.
Jonny Strahl:Yes, that was like trap music.
James LaGamma:Just the back to the Marshmallow concert. I can't remember.
Jonny Strahl:Carnage carnage that's who was there. And then there's another carnage. Is another one? That's like yeah.
James LaGamma:Was he the one that played the purge music? Yes, that scared the shit out of me. Yeah, everyone split and they were getting ready.
Kenny Massa:It was fucking Mosh pit.
James LaGamma:Yeah, ran right into each other it was insane and I was like my heart was beating, like I don't want to fucking have to fight people right now. The fuck. I don't want to get pushed around. I barely like being pushed around during the concert. I don't want to be actually fucking pushed around.
Ryan Selimos:And we haven't been to a festival since Three that three that come to mind.
Jonny Strahl:They guys have a name that I mean, that I've seen.
Kenny Massa:We saw DJ Pauly D.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, the main stream, but, like like, hardwell was awesome.
Ty Moss:Oh yeah, that was a dark list, yeah.
Jonny Strahl:David Getta, no matter how old, whatever time, whatever year, like he's always, just he's great.
James LaGamma:How are you feeling, Miami?
Kenny Massa:I'm so ready to party.
Ryan Selimos:You've seen him? Yeah, I would love to go. So who?
Jonny Strahl:is the other one, but he doesn't seem to. Yes, though, which was obviously great. Calvin Harris, although it's like always like radio mainstream. He doesn't even like really DJ but like much anymore outside of like his residency, but he's at Edie You'll ultra this week too.
James LaGamma:Did we see a VG at ultra?
Jonny Strahl:Had to, we had.
Kenny Massa:I think we he was. No way we would have missed that. He was in his prime.
Jonny Strahl:There's no way we would have missed that. And you guys are at the main stage the whole time.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, I think we saw it at night, because Saturday was I don't think he was a headliner, because I mean he was.
James LaGamma:I mean you got he's on the show, oh he could have been the second week, because that's when true.
Kenny Massa:Ultra was again. It was two weeks yeah, which is not yeah, it is not, but it does suck though, because then they all, those headliner.
Ryan Selimos:I think I have stuff posted on my Instagram 2013, he would have been the first weekend because we went, the second weekend because, again, it ended with Swedish House.
Kenny Massa:Yeah two weekends is crazy.
Jonny Strahl:It's a long time it is like it's that might have been.
Ryan Selimos:That might have been what started Miami pushing out, pushing back and saying hey, we can't have.
Ty Moss:You hear that.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, I mean, because if you look at a lot of these right, a lot of them are, I mean, tomorrow ends a week, but I mean, you imagine, a lot of them are. Three, two. I mean you see one days, one, two and three days is common. Two to three. Yeah, we saw a beachy. Yeah, dude.
James LaGamma:Yeah, tiesto, a beachy, or the two that I I called out in my Instagram post.
Ryan Selimos:Back in the archives when James is on Instagram.
James LaGamma:Yeah we're going, I'll pull, I'll pull the picture up on the TV.
Ryan Selimos:It's TV YouTube on the Edit okay, whatever you might have to enhance the photo quality from it's a little ways ago.
Kenny Massa:It's, we may, or may not.
Jonny Strahl:Martin Garrix is a good one. He was really. He's after our time in college, though.
Kenny Massa:Is there anyone now that's on the come up? That's like completely new to the game. I feel like there's a lot of people that Were big and stayed big, but as far as like newcomers, not really.
James LaGamma:I think there is. I think just EDM has changed. I think what we were really into is more like house music.
Kenny Massa:Yeah.
James LaGamma:Like. But then, like new genres of EDM started to come out, like Skrillex came out and that kind of put in a whole different, like layering within EDM, and so I think a lot of people like there's it's kind of more like underground, almost in a sense Mainstream wise. You know, marshmallow came out like not too too long ago, relatively speaking, yeah, 16.
Jonny Strahl:Well, there's just so many to that. Like that's there is or something.
Jonny Strahl:Someone who's like been taken over and is really big on like social media, and that's another thing. A lot of these people like they share their presence through social media. So you got like like John summits, one of those like he just did a freaking four hour set. He did like a 16 hour set straight at like space and went to freakin what's the nightclub day? Also space, and then 11, 11 and then what's the other one? Live, all three like back to back to back.
Kenny Massa:Well, no, we saw Steve Ioki that was in Vegas and literally the next day he was in, he was at live. Yeah, yeah like back to back like he had to take a fucking flight.
Ryan Selimos:You talk about like a four hour set of sixteen or so. How many of these guys are actually Live doing it versus hit-and-play, and dude, he does, I remember for for years you were, you almost like it had an issue, but it was like are these DJs actually purest, that's what I'm saying. Well, the thing is how much of it is a show where they already made the mix.
James LaGamma:They're just hitting play and they're there kind of like being like like a lyricist, johnny's appearance.
Jonny Strahl:What it comes to, the DJ at a, at a festival, there's no possible way they can DJ live. It's impossible because it's all about the atmosphere, the actual lighting, the fire, that, like everything that goes involved Into it, like it's very hard because it's got to be synced with the sound technicians. Yeah, I would know. Ties got to know what we're going through. So when we're reaching out to 14 viewers right now, and that's a lot more in depth really, I mean you're talking about lights.
Kenny Massa:Can fatty fire this that? A lot it is, it's crazy.
James LaGamma:I. I don't know how we forgot about this one like up and coming, I guess is, or at least they've. Their name has really come a lot about a lot more recently, and that's two friends.
Jonny Strahl:I.
James LaGamma:Everyone loves big booty. How?
Ryan Selimos:did you see them in Orlando today literally were there my brother and sister in law In Vegas last weekend guilt or no, it's the new place.
Jonny Strahl:Do they performed on um oh?
James LaGamma:my, where was I?
Jonny Strahl:why didn't I go? I sent out a text, said hey guys, it was like a Tuesday or Thursday or something that's yeah which I'm not trying to go, but we went. It was literally right near Wall Street, huh.
James LaGamma:Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, is it the one that's a little down Colonial? Mm-hmm? Okay, I know you're talking about then that place is actually pretty cool.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, I mean it was, they were cool. I mean they're just, it's the mashups. Oh yeah, it's being able to like do all that stuff nowadays. It's cool.
Ryan Selimos:Well, that segues into like just how EDM has evolved with two friends is a perfect example all of the, the mashups in the collapse of how it just takes Like regular music and has brought it into EDM. And I think that overall is taking EDM to another level because, like you can get the throwbacks in there, you just get people of all different genres now listening to EDM because it has their songs mixed in it's funny.
James LaGamma:I'll have to look up the movie, but, um, it's funny how EDM music like a lot of like the, the lyrics are stuff that happens in any in EDM. So, yes, they're making the beat and stuff, but the actual like lyric, singing and stuff could come from somewhere that you would no idea. Yeah, I'm pretty sure levels has like Madonna in it or something, or who. She was in a tea in a movie recently that not recently, sorry. I recently watched this movie and she started out with the literally like the main lyric from levels and I was like wait a minute. And so, like you realize, and I feel like EDM may be played a part in like the remix era Mm-hmm, I don't, I don't know if that's true or not. I'm sure remixes probably came out before then, but Remix in a different, in a different, blend, like yeah remix with house.
James LaGamma:Remix period you know, I just that's. What I was saying is like I think maybe EDM played a part in like creating remixes, just in general, taking someone's song and remixing now.
Ryan Selimos:Remixes were around before then.
Kenny Massa:They were around, but they probably were still successful.
James LaGamma:I'm saying they have made a more mainstream.
Kenny Massa:They probably weren't, with a blend of like techno around it though.
James LaGamma:Yeah Well, I mean, look at what they're doing right now in today's music. They're remixing 80s songs. Oh man, yeah. So I'm saying they're making it more mainstream, like if you got a remix, it was probably more underground. Like you, you had this remix from like some rap song or whatever.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, let me ask you this when you so, on the flip side, that you could also look at about like Songs that are more pop culture, that are taken from original songs, so like the first time I ever actually heard levels was actually due to Flowrider Good feeling like that. Yes, the actual audio piece, the sound itself, is actually from levels and that's what we got that really song going, and then obviously levels of the Veechie version just took off. But it's a flip side to it for sure.
Ryan Selimos:As far as the sample itself, I don't know this, but when they do these collabs, they these mashups and they pull from older songs so they have enough. Fork out a boatload of cash to just have the rights, or like to be able to play it, or, yeah, licensing because there's just so much crossover now I mean, I just don't know.
Kenny Massa:I don't know either, but I've always wondered that, like they have to, you can't just take like Some big name and put it into your song, like into your song, right, have to license it or there's royalties. I think.
James LaGamma:I think there's a timeline piece that comes into play, like after a certain amount of time that has lapsed. Now that song can be utilized, kind of like trademarks, so like, for instance, levels. I had to look this up because I wanted to figure out who it was. It was actually not Madonna, it was Christina Aguilera. She's the one that covered a song from 1962, edit James's some. Some things got a hold on me. That's where levels sampled the oh Sometimes, that part and then, like Johnny said, then flowrider did it too in his song.
James LaGamma:Good feeling, insane so maybe after there's wait a second levels to this shit. I know some people out there clapping. Well done, james God.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, I would think that they have a license it in some fashion.
James LaGamma:Yeah.
Kenny Massa:Welcome to hot takes, where we talk about debatable topics. Today's debatable topic is If live production music is better than studio music.
James LaGamma:I mean, come on, studio music's always gonna be better.
Ryan Selimos:I agree, studio music live in person live.
James LaGamma:There's just people that they might be able to write good music and then when they put the studio in, you've got you know all the doohickeys and doodads and knobs that you can twist and make them sound better. When they go live, they sound like fucking dog shit. There are definitely people out there now. I would appreciate for people that can actually fucking sing live, but that's why live isn't always the greatest and that's becoming harder and harder to find.
Kenny Massa:You know those people that can sing and perform live. So I mean I just sounded more crisp in the studio.
Jonny Strahl:I Feel like that's why our point makes more sense.
Ty Moss:So you like listening to have music shitty music.
Jonny Strahl:Appreciate the greatness of people when we go watch them in concert or at a venue.
Kenny Massa:But the greatness of that is depreciating.
James LaGamma:Yeah, but you might like someone that can't do live well. Like they sound like shit when they're live, but you like them because their studio is fantastic.
Ryan Selimos:Like I guess it's false advertising. A sense, if you like. If you do it live Well they're performing too.
Kenny Massa:I mean they're running around and they're singing at the same time. I mean, it's just a different energy.
Ryan Selimos:It's a different aura when you're there in person to experience it and witness it. Going on verse Every day, listening to the studio version for me, I know I'm arguing studio, but I'm having a blank here.
James LaGamma:So you live. Folks can pitch in on your. What is auto tune? Yes, auto tune can make them feel better.
Jonny Strahl:It sounds better. So like who's an example? T-pain is actually.
Ryan Selimos:I know that that has been a topic recently Years, everyone tell us yeah, no no, t-pain is fantastic, live no, but there there are people.
James LaGamma:I'd have to think about it a little bit more. But I just know I've like, I've listened to live and I'm just like it's not as good, it's just not.
Jonny Strahl:Well, I would hope it's not as good when you have all the editing and stuff. But are we talking? I just want to make sure I'm understanding the topic here. Is it we are talking about the appreciation of live music, going to a concert and witnessing them perform, versus just listening it on the Radio or on your that's how I'm interpreting it.
James LaGamma:Oh, I mean I. I guess that's a way to look at it, I was just what do you enjoy better is, do you do you prefer listening to something live or do you prefer listening to something that has been through the studio? And I just like the better sound quality that comes out of the studio than a live version of song, like if I were to download a song and you can download the live version. Studio version. I'm gonna download the studio version. I do not want the live version agree.
Kenny Massa:Of course, that's my argument, didn't it? But I think?
James LaGamma:you're you're approaching it from a different, like it more of an environmental standpoint. Like you're the environment of listening to live music versus just hearing music. I like a party because, like you're talking about a live band versus a DJ at a wedding or something like that kind of a similar. Concept is what you're talking about.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, correct me if I'm wrong, but during the episode you we mentioned ultra, we mentioned Swedish house mafia and I believe you said, is it? You said specifically that damn, we fucked up because we didn't stay for the live version when we'd watch the quote-unquote studio version from our room.
James LaGamma:Because it was the last time they were ever gonna.
Ryan Selimos:No, no, no, no we fucked up because we didn't stay to see them live in person for the.
James LaGamma:So that was more of a historical.
Jonny Strahl:I don't know it's different, they're bad, they're back though you can go see, but I know they Are back, but it's all good.
James LaGamma:I think you're also kind of proving our point. Edm music is studio fucking music, just replayed. It's completely different. They're not making sounds from.
Ryan Selimos:We just talked about how it's all. Collabs now, like EDM, is turned into a mosh of all different types of music, which brings in recorded studio music in his example.
Kenny Massa:Christina Aguilera is not out there like singing on a mic. It's a recorded. What's the?
Ryan Selimos:live the song that David get it just came out with with BB Rexha the remix, I believe baby Rexha is going live fucking singing that straight up, and it's much better in person.
James LaGamma:You've got the live version to it, but she might have a really good live voice.
Kenny Massa:Bb Rexha does have a good life.
James LaGamma:I think. I think it's just a little in in the space of the celebrity music people that sing. That sing not, not just create EDM. Yeah, I think it Is maybe a far-fetched claim. Here I would say 50% are actually good at singing and 50% are just. They really do need the studio to make them sound better and if they didn't, they wouldn't be on the radio.
Jonny Strahl:But that's. That's kind of the point. Like it's just you're saying it's almost easier to have a good song because you have ghost writers, you have all these auto.
James LaGamma:I'm gonna give all these sounds, all these productions and studios, yeah, yeah yeah but that's why like you, I'm not a pure live, I'm not a pure music. I just want the good song.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, but again. So, alright, you mentioned earlier One of your favorite songs is from Garth Brooks, so you wouldn't want to see that live. You wouldn't want to see him perform live, you probably know, I know way Okay now, if you ask me that question, I wouldn't.
James LaGamma:I wouldn't see that. Actually, you know, to be fair, I think that song actually has a live feel to it Because doesn't have the crowd in it.
Ryan Selimos:Yes, that's, that's part of the whole. There's a reason experience.
James LaGamma:There is a reason why I like that song and it's a very different than the quality of the song Studio versus live it's just because it's something that I connected my dad on Period.
Kenny Massa:All right, let's look at it like this completely different.
James LaGamma:You're. You're going out a completely different route. Now, if it was live, they go see it with my pops. Fuck yeah, 110%. I'd go because that'd be something I remember for the rest of my life. But it's just because we have a connection to that song, I wouldn't personally just want to go by. Oh my god, brooks is coming in town. I wouldn't, like, I wouldn't pull that off where I'd be like I have to go get tickets and go, like that's I'm not. That's not me. Now, I enjoy the like festivals because I enjoy the atmosphere and it's fun and it's like just get drunk and have a good time. But I'm not someone that wants to go see these people that I've listened to for years and years. That's just I. Just I don't really care for it. They're really expensive too. So I just like I'd rather just listen to their fucking music on my terms when I want to, that's the point that I was gonna make.
Kenny Massa:Like in order to go see a live performance, compared to Seeing or listening to anything that is over the radio or downloadable or whatever from a studio version, the hustle and bustle to get that done is dramatically different. You have to go see them like. I'm not a person that's starstruck or anything like that, so that that doesn't come into effect for me, but there are people that do do things because of going there. Hold up your tally marks.
Ty Moss:Oh, you watch the ticket ticket pricing.
Kenny Massa:I mean, we've seen exactly how that looks in recent times, where there is massive price gouging, so it's becoming increasingly more expensive at the surge prices for fucking Uber yeah. Well then, then that also comes into play where it's like travel and hotels and food and all of these different things.
James LaGamma:It looks like such a fucking douchebag. Okay, so you can't eat your own partners.
Jonny Strahl:You're losing your own partners. I know I'm sorry, sidebar.
Kenny Massa:Sidebar. Fuck you, let's go to a concert.
Ryan Selimos:So he said let's go to a concert done.
Jonny Strahl:Stop while we're ahead.
James LaGamma:I just just had a weird squirrel moment. Okay, I apologize.
Jonny Strahl:It has nothing to do with our fucking argument. Who are your favorite artists?
Kenny Massa:I don't really have a favorite artist. I don't like have something where I have to just listen to one person.
James LaGamma:I just bounce around do all one for me, since he has given you not an answer.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, what's your favorite songs then?
James LaGamma:Yeah, let's just go jay cole, jay cole, let's go jay cole, fantastic Jay cole is a good one. Okay, love jay cole.
Kenny Massa:Thank you fits for introducing me to jay cole.
James LaGamma:Let's just I know you don't watch this yet, until you're on.
Jonny Strahl:Let's just say Take away the price gouging and how expensive a ticket is. Take away, you're not star struck and you just want to go see someone perform. You feel like it's not worth going to see jay cole and just hey, let me go see what jay cole is all about in concert, getting the full grand scheme of thing, versus just listening to on the carladia. Like you just won't do that just because of all these other factors.
James LaGamma:No, and to your point, because the way you phrase your question, if you feel like you want to go in person, then I think you already answered the question. Yeah, I'd go because I feel like I want to go in person. That's how you phrase your question. But if jay cole was in Orlando and I had the opportunity to go see him, the answer is no, I probably wouldn't go because I would just I'd probably be doing something else, I'd have some. No, there's also the side of people probably wouldn't go with me. I the only person that would go with me is jay. He would go to see jay cole because we talked about it all time. We fucking love jay cole.
Ryan Selimos:And maybe he would go with me. Eric would go.
James LaGamma:Eric would go right, so I'd have to go with people. That's another side of it too, is I wouldn't go by myself. I just I wouldn't do that. So I would rather live would be more fun to experience with others than like something like me to choose to go to, but I prefer to just listen to him in the car. Man, it's just. I crank up higher and I fucking. It's awesome.
Jonny Strahl:But that's not your favorite artist, though. That's johnny listen, it's not fair to ask this question especially for kenny.
Ryan Selimos:It's not fair to talk about live events for kenny because he doesn't enjoy live events in general. He doesn't tell us about how awesome ucf events are in live with price, because price gouging doesn't happen there and ubering to the event or getting to the event doesn't happen there. He's never done that before. We're talked about it on this podcast. So it's just not a fair question to ask kenny About, you know, doing something live. He just prefers to enjoy it at home.
Jonny Strahl:So I just can't believe they're sitting here trying to say you guys wouldn't want to go see someone live that you really enjoy and you'd rather listen to him on the car. It's literally.
Kenny Massa:Like 20 minutes ago I switched teams. So what the fuck?
James LaGamma:20 minutes over done. What is your concept of time?
Kenny Massa:10 minutes, again 10 minutes. You're not helping your case. I'm going to go solo.
James LaGamma:I'm the only one making good points here. You lost a price gouging.
Kenny Massa:You lost a teammate when you started looking at yourself in the camera. I went to the other side on this one.
Jonny Strahl:I mean, it's very simple like elton john steven x, like all these guys and girls and people that are great, like if they could perform live, you want to see them live.
Kenny Massa:Like that are actually good if you remove all of the external aspects of like price and and hustle and bustle and all of these things that come into play, and if you just look at the two variables, would you rather see someone going back to your j Cole question? If you would rather see j Cole live and you didn't have any of the Conditions that revolve around that, or listen to studio, yes, the answer would be I would listen to him live. But the problem is is that it's just not the case and it's not a normal question, because there are always external conditions that come into play, of course. But yeah, I'd like to see j j Cole live in the event that none of that existed.
Ryan Selimos:Let's just call a swifty real quick, and yeah, they'll go, that'll confirm it.
Kenny Massa:No, because that's all Start. That's the other problem, though that people go to these events just because of the celebrity status of that person. Like, I would say, like 50% of the people that are especially at like, a tailor concert, 50% of the people that are there Are there because they want to say that they've been there.
James LaGamma:They're not there and they enjoy the music.
Kenny Massa:Slightly, but they want to say, they want to have the say and they've been to that experience. I highly doubt that they want to pay. I don't know what the prices are $600 for a ticket. Do all that bullshit just to get there like I just don't think that it's really because of the decision between studio versus live production. I think it's because of the I have been there.
Ryan Selimos:I don't think it matters, because you already traded teams like this is oh. I don't know why we're talking yeah, so just I'll just cut, I'll just wrap up with my quick take on my opinion.
James LaGamma:I know it's a hot take, I'm not trying to sway you guys here, but from a perspective of the quality of the song itself and like, like actual, like hearing it and what I prefer it's going to be always studio as far as the environment, or like the star struck or stardom to go see someone. I just don't typically have that. But I will say, from a live music perspective, I enjoy it when I have good company with me. I like being able to look over to my right and see Ryan fucking singing a song that I'm also singing Because we're at a piano bar and a fucking cruise like it's. It is a cool, fucking. I do like live music. It's cool, but some people just don't have the Live singing voice. That's necessary. That actually sounds good sometimes. That's my only point I'm drawing here is not the. The experience itself is fun, but me going alone, I would never do that. No matter who it is, it doesn't fucking matter, I don't care how much.
Kenny Massa:I like, so in most cases you just prefer to go to a live event. Then like listen to studio. No.
Jonny Strahl:James, you're spinning circles, dude.
James LaGamma:I gave two scenarios of the hot day this is over like.
Ryan Selimos:You can go to tie and ask him Quality of music.
Kenny Massa:I also thought of something while you were talking like if you go back in in time, you go to like Arrow Smith or like some of those like rock, like Fucking shredded on a guitar, like take them, take the actual singing away and the voice shit mid switch. Dude, that shit is fucking like talent. New version of music.
James LaGamma:You're talking about musicianship, that's yeah.
Kenny Massa:There's a reason that post Malone came out recently and just fucking killed it on the guitar while he was singing, because that's a different level of talent. So I mean like I don't.
Jonny Strahl:I do. Prince, michael Jackson, madonna, like all these people, would be so freaking cool to see there's too many variables, but I think don't you dare shrug your shoulders at seeing like Michael Jackson live.
Ryan Selimos:That would be an epic show.
James LaGamma:Oh, I mean I'd see more of the rock if I was gonna go see something and I have Epicness and star in the night.
Ryan Selimos:Where did we go in in Mexico?
James LaGamma:Fucking I'd. I'd see kiss.
Ryan Selimos:Which was a live show.
Ty Moss:Yeah, what a production that was that was look.
James LaGamma:We were there with people. I enjoyed it with people. My argument is that that point is I would only do live if I have people going with me. I'm not to Johnny's question. I'm not going by myself.
Kenny Massa:All right, I think. I think that we wrap this up.
James LaGamma:I think that unless you're in solitary I can't believe we had someone flip hey Ty, what so fucked up royalty man, I want to see what Ty says debate.
Jonny Strahl:Ty, would you prefer to see people live or listen to a studio version of the song?
Ty Moss:I think it's. It's heavily dependent on the artist, but yeah it's like if it's somebody that I I want to see like I, that I appreciate about them, it's usually 10 towards like live. I'd like to see them do that, all that stuff, live live it is.
Jonny Strahl:Wait, james, are you being serious? Yes, dead ass serious.
Kenny Massa:Oh.
Jonny Strahl:I got a. I got a quick, quick game for you guys. Okay, oh boy, here we go. I'm gonna give two songs. You guys pick which one's better in your eyes. All right, uh.
Ryan Selimos:Are you playing it?
Jonny Strahl:I can't just say no because we're gonna get a strike on youtube.
Ryan Selimos:We're gonna get in trouble for royalties or training parts.
Jonny Strahl:Last time we got nothing. Um, let's go with. While we're on the topic of Just these mainstream people, let's go with titanium by david getta, and then let's go. I could be the one by Avicii. You gotta play it I mean, I can try, can I play? I?
James LaGamma:think, in my personal opinion, they're both great songs.
Kenny Massa:But titanium is just another level and you're going for it.
James LaGamma:I go titanium I didn't say it, you said it. You know you guys are both gonna go titanium really.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, I thought someone would have said I could be the ones make you.
James LaGamma:Oh, I love this song. Don't get me wrong, I can jam out to it. But titanium, I think, wasn't it. Titanium was in pitch, perfect one. It's the shower scene.
Ryan Selimos:Jesus, james, it was when it was when uh.
James LaGamma:It was when anna kendrick was singing in the shower on the girl. Oh we know, we're well away. But you got it down to a whole. That's pretty funny. I love that song. I love that song.
Ryan Selimos:at this second she was washing her elbow like all right Whoa.
Jonny Strahl:Whoa all right onto the next subject. Let's just continue. Oh it's funny, it was it was good they did.
Ryan Selimos:he sang it very well on the next no, no, no, no, we're moving on. We're off the tracks.
Jonny Strahl:It would be it would be better that if we could play the song. All right, well, just come on.
Jonny Strahl:No no, we're good. We're good, just go, let's continue. I want to play the songs because it would hit home, be nostalgic too. All right, how about this? On that topic, what songs Remind you of like certain things in your life or certain things you were doing at a certain time? That's a good question. I'll tell you this. We talk about levels. I don't know why. This may sound goofy, but that was our senior year when we were playing football. I remember listening to levels and warm-ups During football season, like that was one of the songs on the speakers, so that song vividly stands out when I was trying to get in the zone.
James LaGamma:I. I think this song speaks to all of us, why loves never touch the ground is easily remixed with the gazo, because oh yes, that's true.
Ryan Selimos:Thank you, for this is a specific because you tried to play the original at your wedding.
James LaGamma:Did not, don't you dare put that shit on. Q, the tomato Q the tomato.
Jonny Strahl:How was?
James LaGamma:our DJ. I sent him. I Sent him the exact link on YouTube of which one needed to be played, and he ripped something from somewhere else and I have no idea what it was, but that song, just it brings me back to college and just really good times where we're all sharing a moment together, because In our biggest moments, for some reason, that song always comes on.
Kenny Massa:Yeah that's a good song, I agree a lot of those like that time range, the, I would say, early 20, like the 2010 to 2015 EDM music. All of that kind of stuff Just revolves back to all of us and like living in the house and pike and stuff like that. That's. That's really what all of those songs there's like. There's dozens of them that we would just play Over and over and over again. They just reminded me of.
James LaGamma:The other music that I really like. That brings me back, because you're talking about like memories and stuff cued off of music. The joke, these the Joker by not Steve Miller band. Who is it? It's the classic rock.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah it's.
Ty Moss:Steve Miller, it is.
Kenny Massa:Steve Miller Okay.
James LaGamma:Thank you very much that. And then what's the song I always play that reminds me of my dad? We always sing it together. Garth Brooks yep those two songs will always take me back to my dad's Corvette as he's driving me over to To elementary school.
Ryan Selimos:It's good stuff.
James LaGamma:I'll never. It'll never go away from my head. I'll always remember that was when I was going to private school. To his Jack Aranda, never forget it like that.
Jonny Strahl:That's a good one, I think.
James LaGamma:I think no songs, just bring you back somewhere trying to get the official name of it.
Jonny Strahl:You're a big brick house guy.
James LaGamma:You're always a house, he's a brick.
Jonny Strahl:You remember how they always used to play clarity by Zed? Yeah, yeah, I got sick of that song. Yeah, I made a remix of one of our college football trips to that.
James LaGamma:So you did and I had to listen to it over and over and over because there's b-roll.
Ty Moss:So it was just music, and then Shit going on.
James LaGamma:Yeah, that song was over. I could post that on YouTube, though, and I didn't have any licensing problems before licensing problems.
Jonny Strahl:Before anybody could start a.
Kenny Massa:Publish.
James LaGamma:It's just like fucking picked up done back then all you had to do is like cut out a piece in the song, like in random spots, and then it wouldn't be able to pick it up.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, that's the tech now is just so, so far in advance it's kind of it sucks cuz three seconds later, it's like it knows exactly what images are an hour long video and shit.
Ryan Selimos:Crazy. Going back to the songs, I think, after thinking about it, obviously Calvin Harris and summer for me, and that just takes me back to Summer.
Ryan Selimos:But during college, right where you're, you're home and just you don't really have a care, worry in the world. And maybe we were doing internships, whatever, we had our football workouts, but just that was kind of our last hurrah before going into the workforce and then you don't have a to or like just enjoying that time and really cherishing that time and looking back on it. So anytime I hear that takes me back.
James LaGamma:Yeah, I'll just never, forget Because, like, obviously we were big into EDM in college and everyone knew it, because we threw the parties, that's what we were playing, and so they would always joke about I think it was foggy, so call it transformers fucking That'll stay with me forever too I said that one time at work and like it was just not. It was. It's so good, like it's such a good joke that. I guess you just Don't appreciate it when you're older. I don't know, it was it was so right though.
Jonny Strahl:It was so right so right, boys and their transformer have sex music.
James LaGamma:Just to just to kind of go for blast with the past. When we used to throw our parties, we we took our giant head units and we would sync them up with an aux chord. Oh my god, we first did this obviously like we were pushing them a limit. We wanted them as loud as humanly possible. But then they overheated so they would just cut out and be like, oh and then. So we quickly realized we needed fans.
James LaGamma:We didn't realize how many we needed but we had just fans, just like we had an entire. We took the pool table Kind of made it into a DJ booth, had all the speakers set up and then all you see is like 40 fans. Yeah, I remember one time.
Kenny Massa:I forget whose room it was in, but I remember we made out of like Furniture we made a DJ like booth that was like off the ground, and then you were in it. You were the DJ in it for a period of time. It was like the dressers dressers and then the like, the arm wars that were like what two pillars? And then Johnny was just up. There was like Mind you, though these in the corner?
Ryan Selimos:of these rooms were maybe the size of the 12 by 12 rooms.
Ty Moss:So Johnny's the DJ and it feels like it's 500 people.
Ryan Selimos:It's all 17 of us in there dawn.
Kenny Massa:Oh man, I mean it was. It was tight in there. Johnny took up half the. He's just standing on all the furniture of the DJ booth.
Jonny Strahl:Then we graduated. Move to the chapter room.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, unpopular opinion, right, we got busted for those chapter room parties, for having EDM concerts, and then the next year what did our school do for? Like homecoming, they brought loud, they were inspired by our setup there like us in our parties.
Kenny Massa:Clearly, this is the trend.
Jonny Strahl:I was just waiting for a reach out to start as the opener you know, but that didn't happen.
James LaGamma:Dj daddy strong to do this strong.
Jonny Strahl:Wow, that was a good time. Oh son, where'd you find this one?
James LaGamma:Oh.
Jonny Strahl:They had the paint party that one year. Yeah, party, yeah, that was disgusting yeah it was cool, it was good, yeah, yeah, just fucking had painted ears and eyeballs for a week.
James LaGamma:It's a dude, music's just great. I mean it doesn't have to be EDM either. Any, any music can just put you in the mood. I mean you were talking about like Football and stuff, but you guys probably all had a pregame pick playlist, yeah where you had. You're just your, your hitters that just get you in the frickin mood. Yeah, I mean Anything. There's this, there's music. Just it's awesome. They can pick you up when you're feeling down. It can keep you down if you want to feel down.
Ryan Selimos:Yes, sad songs.
James LaGamma:Music's just fucking awesome.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, I think it's something that for me it can change my mood pretty instantly, like If I'm like, and I'll do this for work now, like you know, I'm not getting prepared for a football game anymore. I, you know powerlifting, competition or something like that so it's like but I'm going for a big sale or some shit. You know, you got to hype yourself up. Like I'll put on some good music and get hyped up. I mean, it definitely works.
Ryan Selimos:What is your go-to song in those situations? We can go around, but like what? Is that one song where you need that? Pick me up? What do you go to?
Kenny Massa:So it'll just depend. It'll depend on my mood. But, um, you know, I say I don't have like a go-to song specifically. I'll throw on like I literally have like an EDM like Just Spotify playlist that they'll just like EDM hit top, edm hits or some shit. So then I'll just go in that and I'll just keep clicking through until I find something that hits based off of my mood. But that's a good, that's a good one or Depends on how you know, aggressive I'm feeling. Like how the mood is, I would say it just plays off of so much. So it'll depend on basically rap or Country rock or EDM. Those would be probably the three genres that I would pick a playlist in and then just try to find a song in Okay, what about you, john? And like that's probably my go-to, those three genres right there.
Kenny Massa:Yeah but then yeah, I just bounce around. I don't have a go-to song specifically.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, I wouldn't say I have a go-to song. I definitely have a, whatever the vibe or the mood is. So if I'm like Trying to stay focused you know, very like laid-back, low-key, mellow Sounds, audio focus, meditation type vibes If I'm trying to feel, feel some type of way, I'll listen to, like maybe music that's a little bit more emotional, like that kind of hits you a different way and that sometimes, for me, just kind of gets me in the right mindset. I don't know why, but like if I'm trying to get going and pumped up and whatnot, like I mean I'll listen to rap Most of the time, old-school rap, like stuff before you know nowadays, so like mid-2000s and before, edm's the go-to.
Jonny Strahl:But I listen to everything. I like all music. I think I have more of an appreciation for all genres of music now that I'm older Versus before. But, like classic rock, a love country's fine with me. It just depends on the day, it depends on feeling. But, like ever since I started running, that's where, like my music and what I listen to like it's not so much like I'm trying to get pumped up, like I listen to like some weird stuff, like I was just looking at my actual like most listened music on Spotify and it's like Beethoven and stuff, which is crazy because I just listen like instrumental stuff.
Ryan Selimos:So just depends on the day that makes sense for running, though. Yeah like you just trying to hit that same. Like you're just trying to cruise. Yeah and interesting.
Jonny Strahl:So like the soundtrack to 300s on there, I'm like, oh my god, embarrassing, 300 violin work, a show, that's a good one too.
Ryan Selimos:I was talking about the it's interesting that you mentioned like the focus, when I know a lot of people Will use music to focus me. I Like silence, like I just get distracted if there's music going on and then I'm trying to read something or like do work. I just can't, so I just prefer no music in those what about like white noise?
Kenny Massa:like I listen to white noise. I've never tried it.
Ryan Selimos:I'm sure that would probably work for me, but like I'm talking about people that will just have Music going like all day through and work as they're just knocking out stuff, and for me I'd be distracted. So I've always been someone with silence, so white noise probably would For like Getting in the zone, whether it's like working out, but also just for the vibes, for it's walka no hands, I hear that song and I just get Going.
Ryan Selimos:so great I was in the gym this week and it's ready to go. It came on, so that's, I would say that's my go-to. But then, yeah, edm, and, funny enough, I've started to enjoy country a little bit more and I've always been against country music. But I think that also ties into it's all Collabbing and it's all kind of crossing over.
James LaGamma:Do you say he listens to country music?
Ryan Selimos:I said I've been more open to it.
Jonny Strahl:I think you probably like more of the the main that's what I'm saying, pop culture.
Ryan Selimos:Country is correct.
James LaGamma:Luke Bryant.
Jonny Strahl:There's like one song specifically we could probably get some people going on what we consider country and not consider country but Luke Bryant's pretty good.
Kenny Massa:Dutton ranch freestyle by david morris. So you guys are the Dutton ranch freestyle from yellowstone, john Dutton. Maybe I'll play when we're done. You'll you'll like it.
Ryan Selimos:It's like sure.
Kenny Massa:It's like a blend between country Rock, but like it's not really country rock. It's not like I don't know, there's like, maybe like a little bit of like. I guess gets the freestyle twist.
James LaGamma:It's not like there's a lot of heated debates going on right now about people that are entering into the country space. I think post Malone is doing it and like there's some people that are welcoming and there's some people like, not, it ain't it. Well, look at the Super.
Kenny Massa:Bowl blowing up.
Ryan Selimos:But him at the for the Super Bowl without no one's. I didn't see that coming. Him with the guitar going, yeah that was different.
Jonny Strahl:I was doing him, yeah, but he plays the guitar.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, he's a nobody just entering that space. I would I didn't know post moments do that until literally the super.
Jonny Strahl:Back to college. That's a great. That is a good song, yeah you guys remember that yodeling kid. Yes, yeah.
Ty Moss:He's actually insanely town like he's so good he sounds like fucking Johnny Cash.
Jonny Strahl:Yeah, is he still? Is he still like going big?
Ty Moss:or yeah. Yeah, he's like. He's like I don't know what, how he's like a teenager now and he's his Sounds different, but he sounds really good, he sounds.
Jonny Strahl:He still goes to festivals and stuff you know, just because on that topic, who is that guy that made that one song. It went viral, but he's like turned down every deal.
James LaGamma:Oh, the guy that he made rich men north of. Richmond.
Ryan Selimos:Yeah, I.
Jonny Strahl:Just I'd hit home I wasn't that song a lot. That's a good song, but I'm weird.
James LaGamma:I'm weird with my music when it's putting me into the mood. I have specific genres that I'd like to do specific things with, so you'll laugh.
James LaGamma:So if I'm working and I'm reading, I have to listen to white noise because sounds and reading Words don't mix for me. But if I'm doing like Data entry or like meticulous type work where it's, it really doesn't take much thought. I'm just doing the same thing over and over again because I have to. I like listening to songs that I can sing, so like I'll listen to Mariah Carey, alicia Keys, coldplay, like anything from like the 2000s that we all know the fucking lyrics, to Just picture James typing and singing.
Ryan Selimos:Don't give a fuck. I do it, every I do it every first quarter. I'm probably gonna be doing it all week this week.
Kenny Massa:I wasn't loving a. You have left me because Ryan was laughing. Yeah, cuz Ryan's an ass.
Ryan Selimos:Most people sing in the shower while they're driving, james is, I sing a shower too.
James LaGamma:When I mow the lawn. I love Love alternative rock like Green Day and all that stuff. Love all that Working out. It's very similar. I kind of stay in the rock space, but I also listen to EDM when I'm working out. Obviously, big booty mixes are awesome. I throw them on the TV, listen to that and it just it gets you going. But yeah, it's very strange then when I'm doing something like walking or Maze slower cardio. So walking basically, is probably the only one that matches on that one. I listen to podcasts. It's weird. Yeah, I do too. I wasn't that well, I don't listen.
James LaGamma:I don't like listening to music when I'm walking, because it's it's usually like a Long drawn out thing, so I'd rather hear someone like talking about something and kind of like let my mind drift away. I agree, but yeah, my my guilty pleasure. No shame in sharing this, but when the working like playlist that I'll listen to when I'm, when I'm singing and stuff, ryan, it's all Disney music. I fucking love it. I definitely it's all Disney music. I fucking love it.
Kenny Massa:That's actually Disney. Music is pretty cool.
James LaGamma:They play for a reason. Oh, I could sing every fucking song. Coco love it. I mean we need to hit us with a line no shame. I have a voice for country and I. Some of the some of the words in Moana are so I don't know how to pronounce. I just make them up. Well, I mean, but you guys do that when you sing, right, you just make up fucking lyrics.
Ryan Selimos:It's the greatest or you start just going Like when you know you know kind of what they're trying to say, yeah, and then you get to the back to the party, you guys know.
James LaGamma:No, amanda, she's really bad with that. She's gotten better, but it's like a known thing and all of her friends make fun of her for. She just like cut the she just says weird shit and every it's like a man. Stop, you're ruining the song.
Ryan Selimos:All right. Last question I know we're getting close. What is like? It's karaoke. What's the one song that you can go up there and confidently sing it all the way through?
Kenny Massa:sweet Caroline.
Ryan Selimos:Rob the jewelry store, tell them, make me a grill.
Jonny Strahl:Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you.
James LaGamma:Oh, he says I got friends oh places where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away.
Jonny Strahl:About mr Brightside, but yeah, that's another one. I'm surprised no one's mentioned that.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, it's a go-to yeah, there's. There's definitely go-tos that have stuck for like decades, and then probably new songs that will do the same.
James LaGamma:But what about in the car? Do you guys do anything different in the car? It's just whatever mood you're in, no carpool karaoke going on in there, are you just?
Kenny Massa:no one else is there listening to you?
Jonny Strahl:I just depends on mood. Honestly, see, that's when I listen to a lot of podcasts or like audio books and stuff in the car.
Kenny Massa:Yeah, I mean, I agree, like I'm the exact same with a long walk, especially if I'm doing something with, like, the weight vest, where it's like a 45 plus minute walk. I'm not even listening to music, I'm on a podcast 100%, or an audiobook, either one of those, because I do like thinking about things and it's more like active thinking.
James LaGamma:So it's almost like a form of meditation walking.
Kenny Massa:I agreed. Yeah, I agree this is probably better for a separate episode, but I've been doing like a lot more research on there's an active, there's basically like active thinking and meditation in that sense, and then there's the reverse of that, where you literally lie still and you do the reverse of it.
Ryan Selimos:You don't want the one, but I'm good with it.
Jonny Strahl:Guys, we're coming up on time. This is probably for another episode.
Kenny Massa:I mean, I can tell you the explanations coming through Right before we were talking about how I wanted to bring up, tommy said no, we're cutting it, we're going because?
James LaGamma:then we're gonna talk about 20 minutes. I go, it's at your fault and he goes. No, it's not why I'm like I can't believe I do so and I get to see You're trying to get his nice six.
Kenny Massa:Hey, don't play with me.
James LaGamma:Why the fuck are you?
Kenny Massa:doing this with me. Come on, guys, he's trying to get his nice six no-transcript.
