All Episodes
March 22, 2024 - The Joe Rogan Experience
02:45:38
Joe Rogan Experience #2123 - Gary Clark Jr.
Participants
Main voices
g
gary clark-jr
01:10:06
j
joe rogan
01:23:33
Appearances
j
jamie vernon
01:28
Clips
b
b-real
00:02
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Speaker Time Text
gary clark-jr
Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out!
unidentified
The Joe Rogan Experience.
Train by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day.
joe rogan
So how much of a relief is it to have the album done?
You've been working on this for a while, huh?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it would be a relief if I got a chance to chill out.
I just kind of mixed it, mastered it, mastered it again.
That took a little while and I was supposed to go on vacation.
I was going to take a trip and go chill out and like think about it and it took like That didn't end up happening, so I just turned my phone off for like two or three days, and then it was, let's go talk about it and break it all down.
It's a relief.
It's finally done, but it just kind of kept going, so I haven't had a chance to chill on it.
joe rogan
Those breaks are important, right?
Those just vacation breaks, just shut your brain off breaks?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I really wanted that one.
joe rogan
Looking forward to those margaritas.
gary clark-jr
I needed it.
I just wanted to go be by myself.
Just camp out in the woods by myself.
unidentified
Oh, really?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, just be completely solo.
joe rogan
Oh, yeah.
gary clark-jr
And just chill out, you know?
I just made 40. I just wanted to go chill out and go, wow.
You know, reflect and be like, wow, this...
First 40's been pretty cool.
What's gonna happen in the next?
And it was like, boom!
New York City, Tonight Show, Questlove looking at me.
unidentified
I was like, this is not what the plan was.
joe rogan
Sometimes you gotta force the plan and all those other people.
You have a lot of people to make happy.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
But I'm also excited to do it.
Sometimes if I get too comfortable, I get comfortable just being comfortable.
Right.
joe rogan
And then nothing gets made.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, you know, I kind of like to get out there and get the nerves going, blood going a little bit.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Get out in front of folks and figure it out.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Well, that's a little bit of a vacation from the creative process of making it, right?
Because the process of making me, you were, I mean, I know you were locked up.
You lock yourself up, dude.
You do it.
When you do it, you go all in.
gary clark-jr
Well, I think I still care about this shit.
joe rogan
You can tell.
gary clark-jr
I really care.
People are like, what the hell are you making a whole album for?
It's about singles.
I'm like, I still like listening to To a full record, putting a record down, you know, having the needles scratch the thing and playing it and then, you know, flipping that other side and seeing what's happening.
I still like listening to a record from top to bottom.
joe rogan
If there's anything that I've ever learned, it's that do what you like to do.
It doesn't matter what the trend of the business is, just fucking do what you like to do.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You like albums?
Make a fucking album.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, sure.
And so, yeah, that's what I did.
I mean, I was locked in.
A lot of it was by choice, too, you know?
It was like, I just love being in a spot.
I built a studio.
I was like, well, why not fucking use it?
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know?
So that's what I did kind of to a fault.
My wife was like, you got to get out of there.
You know, trying to hang with you, get me out of the house, socialize me and stuff, and I was just locked in, you know?
Just nerding out, trying to make noise, organize noise, you know?
joe rogan
But the end is beautiful.
The end result is beautiful.
gary clark-jr
Thank you.
joe rogan
There's so many layers to the music, man.
I got it last night.
They sent me a link, but then the link needed a passcode, and I couldn't get a passcode, and then last night they sent me the link.
So while I was writing last night, when I came from the store, I listened to the whole album.
gary clark-jr
Awesome.
joe rogan
Man, there's so many...
The music, the sounds, like right off the bat, there's so many layers.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
It's like, you know, it's very...
You could tell there's so much thought into it.
gary clark-jr
There's a lot of smoke in the air.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
A lot of mezcal.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
A lot of vino flowing.
Yeah, it was just...
And there was nobody saying...
You know, usually it's For me, people expect a certain thing.
I have talks like, no strings on the album.
Stay away from singing falsetto stuff because your core fans don't like it.
And I was like, I just don't give a fuck.
I didn't care.
It was in the middle of COVID. So everybody was locked down.
My phone was down.
Nobody was talking to anybody.
I got weird, man.
joe rogan
To me, that is so crazy that anybody is around you that gives you that kind of advice.
gary clark-jr
Well, it's folks that are in the business and, you know, I guess people...
I've been told that I'm not...
I'm a hard act to put on a shelf.
You don't know where to put me.
So they don't know how to market or sell this confused kid who plays power chords and listen to Nirvana, who also loves Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, who thinks that Thelonious Monk is one of the baddest dudes on the planet who wants to play harmonica like Sonny Boy Williamson.
They're like, what the fuck are you?
You know?
joe rogan
You're Gary Clark Jr.?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, exactly.
But it's a weird time.
People want to be able to call you something.
So they tried to do the whole next Jimi Hendrix thing, and that didn't really work out.
I kind of rebelled on that.
They were like, oh, fuck, now what?
So here we are.
You know what I mean?
But, you know, there's no reason not to try shit.
All my favorite artists tried shit.
I mean, that's why I like, you know, Prince.
Like, unapologetically.
Stevie Wonder.
That's also why I like hanging out with you motherfuckers, because y'all just be trying shit.
You know where the wall is when you hit that motherfucker and go, oh!
You know?
joe rogan
Well, the thing about our thing is we have to do it in front of people.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right.
joe rogan
So it's me stoned in front of a computer going, oh, this is so crazy.
Write shit out, put it on my phone, and then going, all right, let's see.
Let's see what other people, let's see how it comes to life.
But you can create all kinds of magic alone.
That's a different thing.
gary clark-jr
Well, I might think it's magic, and you never know.
joe rogan
I think it's magic.
gary clark-jr
Until the thing drops, so we'll see what happens.
But yeah, I feel good about it.
Thanks for listening, man.
joe rogan
Oh, my pleasure.
You know I'm a fan, dude.
I Don't Know You A Thing kicks off our fucking night almost every night at the mothership.
When we get in that green room, we get in that green room, we want to get things popping.
That's, I Don't Know You A Thing is a fucking, that's a work of art.
That's a classic.
gary clark-jr
It's just kind of a rude, fuck y'all, I'm here.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's awesome.
gary clark-jr
It's awesome.
Yeah, but congrats on one year, man.
joe rogan
Thank you.
gary clark-jr
One year.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's crazy.
gary clark-jr
It's awesome.
joe rogan
It flew by.
Feels like we just opened.
gary clark-jr
Y'all been doing it, man.
Word on the street, y'all are taking over.
It's game-changing.
joe rogan
It's fun.
gary clark-jr
For real.
joe rogan
We got so many guys moved here now.
gary clark-jr
Oh, I know.
They're my neighbors now.
Way out in the country.
joe rogan
Well, that's the smart way to live, man.
I tell everybody.
I go, attack it from the outside.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Like Tony Hinchcliffe, he likes living in the city.
I'm like, that's great.
Everything like that.
But you're gonna go crazy.
You want to be outside.
Get that balance.
When I lived in LA, I lived way outside of LA in the hills with coyotes and mountain lions and shit.
I had to worry about hawks.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You know, those are like the things that I would think about.
I'd like just that quiet, just quiet and then get into the crazy and then get back to the quiet.
gary clark-jr
It's a choice.
joe rogan
Yeah.
The way you're doing it's perfect.
Live in the country.
Just relax.
When you get outside and drink a cup of coffee on your porch, man, you're just chilling.
Just birds and shit.
Just beautiful grass and trees.
gary clark-jr
I've become such a fucking nerd, brother.
I've been sitting outside and walking around my house.
I've gone to the camera store.
I've spent way too much money on camera gear trying to capture the perfect clip to send National Geographic of the Mexican Eagles in my backyard.
joe rogan
Did you have Mexican Eagles in your backyard?
gary clark-jr
I'm just sitting out there with a crazy zoom lens.
unidentified
I'm just quiet, stalking them.
gary clark-jr
Trying to get this shot.
Yeah, I spend way too much time out there.
But, you know, it's...
joe rogan
So you got one of those big crazy nature lenses?
gary clark-jr
I'm that guy.
joe rogan
Oh, wow.
gary clark-jr
I think I might quit music and try and get a gig doing that.
unidentified
Really?
gary clark-jr
I get off doing that.
Really?
joe rogan
That's a Mexican eagle?
Wow, what a cool looking bird.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, man.
jamie vernon
It's got a toupee or something on.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Crested Caraca.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Is that how you say it?
Caracara?
Caracara.
gary clark-jr
Caraca?
joe rogan
Caracara?
Mexican Eagle, what a fucking beautiful animal.
You have those in your yard?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, there's a family of like three of them.
They swoop down and hang out all the time.
joe rogan
I had a hawk try to sweep in on my chickens the other day.
Mm-hmm chickens in the backyard and all of a sudden the chickens talking Flopping their wings and running around a look.
I'm this is hawk.
gary clark-jr
Yeah circling You gotta watch out for those motherfuckers I saw a hawk swoop up a kid and I didn't think about that when I moved out into the this is on video or something I don't know if this is probably eagle.
Yeah, yeah, so Yeah, but I was like, I didn't even think about having to look out for that in the country because the hawk came down and swooped up or swooped down and got one of my chickens right in front of my boy.
He was like five at the time.
He's like, what is that?
I was like, whoo!
That's, you know, that's the world happening.
That's nature.
joe rogan
That's how it goes down in the real world.
gary clark-jr
Exactly.
joe rogan
Not this weird thing that we've constructed to insulate ourselves from it.
gary clark-jr
And think that we're the most powerful.
I mean, when you sit out there and you see a hawk swoop down and grab another sizable animal and just take off with it, you're like, okay.
You know, okay.
It's not that safe.
I mean, I walk around out there on my property, and there's been a couple of times where I've almost stepped on a rattlesnake.
My wife and kids just stepped over a rattlesnake getting out of the truck right there in the driveway, and those little baby rattlers, they had no idea.
I looked down, stomped on its head.
I was like...
You know, you don't have to think about crazy things like that.
You know, going fishing.
My daughter caught a water moccasin.
joe rogan
Oh, shit.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
A fishing line?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, she was all excited.
Daddy, I got a snake.
unidentified
I was like, yo!
joe rogan
Not that one.
gary clark-jr
Not that one.
That is not the one you want.
joe rogan
Wow.
On a hook?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, on a hook.
It was like one of those little kid poles.
It's like an Elsa or one of those little princess poles.
joe rogan
Right, right.
gary clark-jr
You know, reeling in cottonmouths.
unidentified
Wow.
gary clark-jr
Like nothing.
Country.
joe rogan
I didn't know they bought on the line like that.
Like they'll attack bait.
gary clark-jr
I didn't know that either.
unidentified
Mm-hmm.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, come get some of that if you want to step out of the city, you know?
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
unidentified
But...
joe rogan
I love it, though.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I do too.
I love getting into the madness.
You know, I don't want to hate on it.
I mean, I love wandering in.
I love wandering around downtown with the camera, popping into certain spots and, you know, I check in on y'all, go to the blues spots and catch the madness and got excited myself, shake it up a little bit, you know, and then just take it back home and get the zoom lens out and nerd away.
joe rogan
Well, it's a good balance of different things.
And if you want to go see, like, live shit, like, this town is so good for that, man.
There's so much live performance going on.
There's so much comedy.
There's so much music.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You know?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it's great.
I like seeing the musicians watching the comics and the comics watching the musicians.
I like that.
joe rogan
I love watching music because I have no talent.
I love watching a thing where I have no talent in.
I've never played anything, so I watch and I'm just like, you're doing magic up there, like, Look at these guys doing magic.
gary clark-jr
I brought a guitar for you, and at least we're gonna teach you how to play an E chord before I get out of here.
joe rogan
Okay.
I'll try.
gary clark-jr
Yeah?
joe rogan
I'll try it.
I've never even tried it.
gary clark-jr
Well, that's the problem.
joe rogan
Is that the problem?
No, the problem is, here's the problem.
I know my brain.
I have a dangerous brain.
My brain can't get interested in things.
Because then it's all in.
And then it's like, fuck eating.
b-real
Let's do this all day.
joe rogan
So I've learned through all my years how to keep that wolf in a cage and not to let it out.
So that's why I don't play golf.
gary clark-jr
Got you.
joe rogan
Because I'm addicted to pool.
It's a real problem.
I can play like a hair under professional speed when I'm on.
When I'm really on, I've been practicing for several hours.
I ran three racks the other day.
Three racks in a row.
That's big.
Four and a quarter inch pockets.
Yeah, see, that's the problem.
I'll get like that with music.
I would get like that with anything.
I'd get like that with golf for sure.
I see Jamie.
He's a full-on junkie.
He's a full-on junkie.
He's got a simulator out there, and I'll come here, and when I pull the car up, he's driving balls into the simulator and mapping it out on a fucking computer.
gary clark-jr
Obsessed.
joe rogan
Obsessed with his club speed.
He's got a fucking killer drive, too.
gary clark-jr
You set up to the whole sensor thing?
jamie vernon
Gotcha.
I don't have all that yet.
joe rogan
It's coming.
unidentified
I've got some cool stuff on the way, I think.
joe rogan
I've watched it get you, though.
That's what's interesting.
When we first met, you were not into golf.
How many years ago did you get into golf?
jamie vernon
When we got here...
joe rogan
When we got to Austin.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
So four years ago.
So in four years, he's become a stone-cold junkie.
gary clark-jr
Got you.
joe rogan
So is Hinchcliffe.
Stone-cold junkie.
Ron White.
Ron White's a junkie.
jamie vernon
It also caught a lot of people.
Whatever the pandemic did, the golf bug went around.
It was one of the only things you could do then.
That's not what I was playing.
joe rogan
It seems to me like it's one of those things that once you do it and you do it and you start getting better at it, you just fucking love it and then everybody becomes an addict.
I know very few people who dabble in golf.
A lot of people, they'll play pool a little bit here and then, but they don't get fully addicted.
Golf people get just addicted.
gary clark-jr
I don't get that.
I'm scared of that too.
I get that now.
Understanding your own brain.
I don't gamble.
joe rogan
That's it.
gary clark-jr
I don't play golf.
Any of that, because it's over for me.
It's already a problem with these stupid cameras.
My wife is like, you're not a fucking...
What are you doing?
joe rogan
But yet you are.
Yeah, yeah.
unidentified
You are.
joe rogan
You are whatever the fuck you want to be.
gary clark-jr
I'm obsessed.
joe rogan
Yeah.
I don't like people telling you what to do.
That drives me nuts.
When I hear people telling you what to do and giving you advice on music, just shut the fuck up.
Everybody shut the fuck up and just...
Market whatever he does.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, well, yeah, right.
I did it, you sell it.
But, you know, the thing is, it's not people telling me what to do.
It's meetings and suggestions.
joe rogan
Right.
gary clark-jr
So I'm translating it as people telling me what to do.
joe rogan
That is what it is, though.
gary clark-jr
Suggestions.
joe rogan
It's as much as they can do.
As much as they can tell Gary Clark Jr. how to make music, they're going to give it a shot.
Well...
You know what I'm saying?
It's just annoying.
Exists in comedy, too.
They're always telling comedians, do this, do that, dress nice, do this, do that.
Stop talking about COVID. Stop talking about this.
unidentified
You know, you'll lose 5% of the audience when you do this, and 10%...
joe rogan
Shut the fuck up.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I was in a conversation the other day in New York talking about a set list.
You should put this in this order and do this.
I was like, you know what?
Y'all talk about it.
I don't want to...
I'm leaving this conversation.
I'm going to go up on the roof, I'm going to put some smoking air, and then I'm going to do my fucking show.
Like, chill out, you know?
joe rogan
Shut the fuck up.
They're telling you how to do a set list.
gary clark-jr
Oh, it's funny.
It's a funky business, you know?
joe rogan
They're all like that, Gary.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
They're all like that.
TV was like that.
When I was on news radio, it was maddening.
Because here you have this guy, Paul Sims, this brilliant writer from The Larry Sanders Show.
All these amazing cast members.
This incredible writing staff.
And then you have the network.
You need a wacky neighbor.
You needed this, you needed that.
We need to have a hot girl that Dave's interested in.
There was always something.
Like, stay the fuck out of this.
Stay out of this.
But they can't help themselves.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
And you have to listen to them because they're the executives.
They're the people that have the money.
Right.
Okay.
gary clark-jr
And you love doing the art.
joe rogan
Exactly.
gary clark-jr
You know?
joe rogan
So it's this weird relationship.
unidentified
Mm-hmm.
joe rogan
You know, that's one of the best things about comedy is you don't really have that relationship with anybody anymore.
We used to have it with TV, but now that's all gone.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
You guys can do whatever you want.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I was telling...
A couple of guys, when I show up to the comedy spot, you know, you guys are nice enough to give me free drinks, so I take advantage and then I start to...
I started going off, man, you guys are the real fucking rock stars.
You can just do whatever the hell you want.
Nobody can tell you shit.
You just go.
You just go.
But, I mean, it is true.
You guys got a freedom in a creative space to say whatever you want at any time.
That's cool.
It's inspiring.
joe rogan
It's fun.
Especially at that place.
Because that place is made for us by us.
It's all ours.
We're the only ones who own it.
Nobody owns it but us.
Everybody else has to listen to us.
That's never been the case.
It's always been there was an owner and the manager is hired by the owner and they give you the rules.
So the rules are now like I go in the green room.
What do you guys think?
And everybody just starts giving off opinions.
I think this.
I think that.
I'm like, okay.
We'll do it that way.
gary clark-jr
That's cool.
joe rogan
We all agree?
Okay, we'll do it that way.
gary clark-jr
That's amazing.
joe rogan
So because of that, we've been able to just have it like a real safe haven.
It really is like a mothership.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Because everybody there goes and travels and does the road, but they come back home to home base.
They come back to the mothership.
gary clark-jr
That's how you build the community.
That's a prime example.
joe rogan
Yeah.
And it's just like everybody who comes here is looking for that too.
And so then when they get it and they realize, oh, this is real.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Like this is real.
This isn't just like everybody wants that thing, you know, like, oh, I wish there was a place we could go.
We all just hang out together and every night just do shows and everybody's creatively inspiring everybody.
And then once you actually have it, you're like, oh my God, it can be real.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
It can be real.
Because we had it a little bit at the store.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
We had a lot at the store in L.A. But we also had owners who were great.
We had managers.
We had Hollywood agents would come.
There was always people's managers hanging around.
There was a lot of other stuff there.
And then there's also the Hollywood feel, which is a different feel because what percentage of those people out there in the audience are in the business?
Like a giant chunk.
At least half.
At least half those people out there in that audience are actors or writers or producers or executives or someone who does something that has to do with the business.
Out here it's just folks.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
It's just folks.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
It's better that way.
gary clark-jr
It really is.
It's just people who just love the shit.
joe rogan
Yeah.
It's just fans.
Just comedy fans who just have all kinds of different jobs.
All kinds of different things they do with their life.
And they just want to come out and have a good time.
gary clark-jr
It's awesome.
joe rogan
Yeah, and it's just, it's magical.
gary clark-jr
It's very cool.
joe rogan
That's, for me, the absolute best thing that came out of the pandemic.
Number one, moving here.
Number two, being able to set that place up.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, well, I mean, as a fan, I think that's one of the best things that come out of the pandemic, too.
So, cheers to you, man.
unidentified
Thank you, brother.
gary clark-jr
One year.
joe rogan
Thank you, sir.
gary clark-jr
Yes, indeed.
joe rogan
Yeah.
It's exciting.
We thought about doing one somewhere else, but I was like, you know what we really should do?
We should do one for like the summer in Montana.
Just find some fucked up town in Montana, have people fly into it, just do a mothership in Montana.
gary clark-jr
Montana would be amazing.
I love Montana.
joe rogan
Montana's amazing.
gary clark-jr
Montana would, yeah, that would blow up, dude.
joe rogan
Yeah, Tony's like, don't fucking do it!
I'm not going to Montana!
I'm like, come on!
And Duncan was like, I'll get a house in Montana!
Let's go!
Montana's beautiful!
Duncan's thinking about doing mushrooms in the fields, staring at the stars.
gary clark-jr
I'm with Duncan on that.
I'm with that 100%.
So yeah, that'd be cool.
You're thinking about expanding?
Possibly.
joe rogan
That was the only thought.
Just buy some land in Montana.
Some weird town, Montana, just put a mothership up.
gary clark-jr
Drop the mothership in the middle there.
joe rogan
See who comes!
gary clark-jr
It'd get interesting, man.
Montana's got some funky, cool folks out there.
joe rogan
It does.
But you also have a lot of people that travel.
That's what's interesting, too.
That's one of the things we found out about this spot.
It's not just people in Austin that are coming to these shows.
It's people traveling from all over the world.
So it's almost like a little Vegas residency type deal.
gary clark-jr
It's become a destination.
It's about us.
joe rogan
Yeah, if you could do that small, funky town in Montana.
If you only had like 120 seats, you could get a lot done.
gary clark-jr
Make it better.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Huh.
Well, I'll be there.
I'll be out there trying to learn how to fly fish and I'll drop in on you.
joe rogan
Fly fish is kind of fucked up because they let those fish go most of the time.
Which is a little weird.
gary clark-jr
The hippie in me gets that.
joe rogan
I get that too, but the hippie in me says, well, why catch them then?
The hippie in me is like, you're just fucking with these fish.
You're just trying to get the juice, that feeling that you get when you catch a fish.
That wild feeling.
gary clark-jr
I'm guilty.
joe rogan
Me too.
I've done it.
I've done catch and release.
Especially bass fishing.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah, I mean, everybody catches and releases.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
I got a little spot out of my house, and we catch and release.
Every now and then, we'll fillet them up, catfish or whatever, fry them up and stuff like that.
But for the most part, it's just hang with my kids and learn how to be patient, kind of teach them how to just chill out, wait for something.
joe rogan
I know.
When is a fish going to bite?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
When is a fish going to bite?
gary clark-jr
When you shut the fuck up.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Chill out.
Yeah, that's my next quest that I'm probably scared of because a buddy of mine, Jacob Skiba, he's a guy I work with in the studio, producer, engineer.
While we were recording, he went out and has gone on a couple of fly fishing expeditions and he's kind of hooked.
And so he's like, you gotta come out there with me.
And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And then next thing you know, I quit playing guitar and I'm the guy fly fishing with the big zoom lens out there in Montana waiting for the mothership to open.
joe rogan
Yeah.
That's the thing.
When people say that they get bored, I'm like, how can you be bored?
There's so many things to do.
There's so many things to do in this life.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
There's so many things to get interested in.
How can you be bored?
To me, my problem is the total opposite.
I just can't have more things that I'm interested in.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
I like...
To get to a feeling where I'm bored or feel like I have time to be bored because I can, you know, invest my time in certain things like photography or, you know, gave me an outlet to go chase something down.
And for better or for worse, I feel fulfilled, like I'm learning a new skill, I'm challenging myself.
I'm never satisfied.
There's so much to know, and there's so much to do, but I'm like a hands-on guy, so it's like, you know, if I'm bored playing guitar, I'll try and figure out something on piano.
If I'm bored playing piano, like I have bagpipes.
I don't know why I have bagpipes, but just in case I get the time to get bored, maybe I'll figure out how to play bagpipes.
You know, just weird shit.
joe rogan
Well, it's something about learning a new thing that excites a part of your mind that doesn't get excited any other way.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
Because once you already know how to do something, then you're just kind of practicing that thing that you already do and you're very comfortable with it.
It's a normal thing that you do.
But when there's a new thing, it's like, what?
How does this work?
What's this lens?
What happens when I turn left?
Oh, shit.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right.
joe rogan
And they're like, okay, what is the aperture?
What does that mean?
Like, what's exposure time?
How much?
What is it?
So at nighttime, you set it different.
unidentified
What the?
joe rogan
What the fuck is that?
And then you start getting into the books and into the weeds.
I got like that with archery.
I nerded out hard with archery.
I know so much shit about archery.
But there's so many layers to that too.
There's people that, like my friend John Dudley, I'll talk to him about that.
I don't even know what the fuck he's talking about.
He's talking about torque lean and torque setting bows and like, what?
Torque tuning, what?
gary clark-jr
I've got a...
My brother-in-law is really into...
I think I hit you up when I was over there in Australia.
unidentified
He was like, hit up Joe and ask him what kind of ball he's using.
gary clark-jr
But yeah, he's really into that.
My mom's real into archery.
Really?
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
My mom...
I'm going to put you out there.
My mom doesn't mind being in a smoky room.
She started playing drums and she's into archery now.
Wow.
She's out here getting it.
joe rogan
Playing drums and shooting bows and arrows.
Fuck yeah!
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it's really badass.
joe rogan
That's badass.
Wow.
Yeah, archery is an addictive thing too because at the moment when you're aiming at the target and you're at full draw, it's impossible to think of anything else.
It requires so much concentration that the world goes away.
And you have this insanely narrow focus.
The insanely narrow focus is the place where you want that arrow to go.
And all these different things have to be in order.
Your scapula has to be aligned.
Your elbow has to be high.
Your right arm has to be pulled back.
Your left arm has to be locked and stabilized.
You have to release your hands so you're just pushing with the palm of your hand.
No movement of your hand whatsoever.
And then you have to relax the shoulders somehow while extending fully.
And all the while you have to fight anxiety.
You don't want to pull it quick.
You want to make sure you just get it locked in there.
So when all that is going on, there's nothing else in the world.
Like if I'm...
I got a lot of things on my mind.
I'm too busy.
I'm too this.
I'm stressed out.
I'll just go out there with some arrows.
And then within 20 minutes, I feel great.
My only time to think about other bullshit is while I'm walking over to the Target and getting my arrows.
Pulling the arrows out and then back to what I was doing.
gary clark-jr
Start sprinting to that motherfucker.
joe rogan
Yeah, if I could just keep firing and never have to go get the arrows, there would be no thinking at all.
gary clark-jr
I get that.
I can kind of relate that to playing guitar in a way.
It's kind of a precision that your hands got to work in sync and coordination and you got to be precise with it or else it kind of all falls off the rails and you can't really think about anything else.
It's not like you can Be on the phone and play guitar or something.
You can send emails back and forth.
You can't really be in conversation with people.
You just have to be locked in to execute.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know?
And you know which shots are better than the others.
You know which chords are played stronger than the others.
You know which notes are gonna sting.
You know what I mean?
It's like, that's the note.
You know, bullseye, motherfucker.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I can kind of relate in that way.
You can't...
You can't...
It's like flow state.
Check out.
You gotta be there.
You have to put in 100% or else you're not gonna be great.
joe rogan
I think that's a lot of things in life.
I think there's a lot of things in life that people gravitate towards because I think there's a great value in having a thing that takes the rest of the world away.
That thing could be golf.
Look at this for Jamie.
It could be anything.
Whatever it is.
But there's a real value in having a thing that takes the world away.
gary clark-jr
I think so.
I think so.
My name would have been I would have had a lot longer rap sheet if I hadn't found guitar at a young age, I think.
You know, just being lost, confused.
joe rogan
So many people out there.
Yeah, if I hadn't found martial arts, god damn.
unidentified
I have no idea what would have happened to me.
joe rogan
It was the only thing that I had ever done that made me feel like I wasn't a loser.
I was like, all of a sudden I found a thing that I know that I can do, and if I just go all in, So that's why I have this problem with getting addicted to things, because that was the first one that I got really addicted to.
And then it just sort of transmuted, it changed, just the way I interact with everything.
gary clark-jr
Did you have a good experience off the bat?
Did you notice that you were a winner immediately?
joe rogan
Not immediately, but pretty quickly.
gary clark-jr
I had an aptitude for it.
joe rogan
I understood it.
I understood distance.
I understood how to hit things hard.
And it was the exciting thing about it.
There's moving targets, they're moving at you, you're moving at them.
Solving this puzzle of human reflexes and instincts and flinching at them and fainting them, getting them to react and then gauging what that reaction is going to be.
Different ways to set things up.
It's so multi-layered and multi-faceted.
And when you're young, you're so fast.
You can move so quick.
It's exciting.
And you learn so quick, too.
Sure.
You see instantaneous reward.
Because if you're learning something while your body is growing...
It's the best because your body grows into these movements.
So your body has like a built-in way of doing these things from its, like literally from the ground up.
Once you're a grown man and you try to teach a grown man like kickboxing, it's like, oh, okay.
You know, you're just like so accustomed to doing certain things with your legs.
You get these grown-ass 30-year-old man legs and I'm going to try to teach you how to throw a spinning back kick.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
I was like, okay.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, that's why I haven't signed up yet.
joe rogan
It's worth doing it just for fun, though.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
And that's another thing.
When you're doing that, you ain't thinking about...
If you're sparring or if you're doing jiu-jitsu training, you're not thinking about anything else.
You cannot think about anything else.
You're just fully locked in to this thing that you're doing.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, that makes sense.
Man, I wish I'd grown into my...
A body while playing basketball, because I'm six foot four and a whole waste of space.
I have no skills.
I have a 15 foot jumper that I'm pretty confident in, but I have no handles.
I'm like, you know, I just, it's a waste.
People ask me.
You play basketball?
Nope.
Didn't get that.
And I tried, man.
I tried.
I had friends who had the shoes where you could build your calves for jumping, and I was out there doing drills, walking around with weights and all that shit.
I was really trying to get there, man.
I got no hops, no court awareness.
It just wasn't my thing, bro.
I'm like a deer in headlights on the basketball court.
It's embarrassing, bro.
But, uh...
Yeah, so I try and get out there with my kid now.
He plays basketball and I'm struggling.
My knees are popping.
joe rogan
40-year-old reality.
unidentified
Yeah, man.
Like, damn.
gary clark-jr
I didn't...
Yeah, that wasn't my forte.
But, hey, you can't be everything.
joe rogan
No.
You cannot be everything.
And if you try to be everything, you'll be nothing.
gary clark-jr
I agree.
joe rogan
Yeah, you just...
It's not...
You gotta pick lanes.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
You can have a couple lanes, but you can't have too many.
And each lane will take away from the resources that that other lane has available.
gary clark-jr
I agree.
I agree.
That's...
That's why I try and tell my wife all the time.
I can't focus on that right now.
I'm trying to stay in my lane.
joe rogan
People that don't have to do that don't understand it.
Sometimes people come to me with business stuff and I'm like, I can't talk right now.
I've got shit going on.
I'm busy.
Yeah, let's talk about this when it's absolutely necessary and never a minute before.
gary clark-jr
That part.
Yeah, say it again loud for the ones that didn't have the volume up.
joe rogan
Yeah, eventually we could talk about this, but not now.
gary clark-jr
Seriously, man.
joe rogan
They'll try to talk to you about important shit right before a show.
This is so crazy that you're doing this.
You don't even understand what you're doing.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Really.
That's one of my biggest issues with doing shows.
And there's some sort of...
Business element involved.
Because, you know, when you're out just on the road with your touring crew or whatever, there's not that, those conversations, it's not those talks.
Everybody kind of gets it, reads the room.
And you have folks who come in and go, hey, I was thinking about this idea with this company.
It's like, the tour manager comes in and goes, five minutes.
And I was like, I'm trying to get my monitors on.
I'm trying to form my voice.
I'm trying to, you know.
joe rogan
And they're just selfish.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
jamie vernon
Captive.
joe rogan
You're a captive audience.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's like, man.
Get the fuck up.
joe rogan
I finally got you alone.
I want to talk to you about this cryptocurrency.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No thanks.
But yeah, it's part of it, I guess.
It's just weird and kind of funny if you think about it.
joe rogan
It is kind of weird.
What's all these different personalities who are interacting with each other?
You know, you have the creative personality and you have all the business people and the people that are support team.
It's an odd relationship.
Yeah, sure.
Whenever you mix business and art, there's just two totally different mindsets.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
It's north and north.
joe rogan
Yeah.
That's why people get real suspicious.
If an artist gets real business-oriented, starts opening up a bunch of businesses and gets all business-y, people are like, oh, what are you doing?
I want you to be an artist.
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right?
joe rogan
Yeah.
That's what I like about you, dummy.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, that's what I like about you.
I like that you don't know anything.
joe rogan
I like that you're out there just being wild.
Have a good fucking time.
Have a bunch of people that do that shit for you, man.
Don't get involved.
gary clark-jr
That's the scary part.
Don't worry about that.
Just be an artist.
Nah, motherfucker.
I'm gonna be at your office tomorrow, early in the morning.
joe rogan
Let me see that spreadsheet.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, what's going on?
joe rogan
Yeah, well that's a true, that's a story as old as time.
The artists that's been ripped off, didn't even know they were getting ripped off.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely true.
It's, you know, there's things that I've had to learn in the business.
Not to get into too much, but yeah, there's definitely things that you aren't looking for or looking out for and people don't necessarily tell you because you're not able to be in those rooms to have those conversations, so things kind of slip by you.
It's like you and your homies trying to figure this out.
It's like your boy who's an attorney who went to UNLV but doesn't know anything about entertainment law.
It's like...
You know, doing your contract.
It's like, oh, you know what I'm saying?
It's like, ugh.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
So there's just things that you got to figure out, but you just got to keep your eyes and ears open and ask questions.
joe rogan
The worst one is when someone has a legit manager, and then their friend is like, bro, I could be your fucking manager.
gary clark-jr
Uh-huh.
joe rogan
And you're like, yeah, man.
You know, you're like a brother to me, man.
I trust you.
gary clark-jr
Right, right.
Yeah, that's it.
joe rogan
That one goes sideways 50% of the time.
gary clark-jr
That's it.
joe rogan
5-0.
You got one out of two chance of that thing going completely sideways.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
And so many guys go that way.
You know, oh, Mike's managing me now.
I got a new manager.
Yeah, right.
That's my wife.
My wife's managing.
I'm like, what?
Yeah.
What are you doing?
Get a professional!
Get someone who knows what the fuck they're doing.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely, man.
All that bro shit.
Things start to get funny.
Yeah.
That relationship starts to get funny, but yeah.
joe rogan
That's also how dudes develop entourages.
That's a wild one.
gary clark-jr
Man, speaking of entourages, I had to just tell my dad is going crazy.
joe rogan
Oh, no.
gary clark-jr
I love my pops, but...
I mean, he shows up to my shows and this dude all of a sudden is sitting courtside at Spurs games.
unidentified
He shows up to my shows with like 30 folks, 30 deep.
gary clark-jr
He's got a table at the Moody Theater.
He's living his best life.
He's just squatted up around town.
People talk to me about him all the time.
My dad is out here getting in in Austin, Texas.
It's pretty funny.
But yeah, he's like, my pops is a superstar out here.
joe rogan
That's awesome.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it's good.
He's having a good time.
joe rogan
Just having fun.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, enjoying it.
It's definitely enjoying having a kid who's known around town.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
That's good.
joe rogan
Oh man, he must be so proud.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, he's getting a little bit ridiculous.
Showin' up 10, 15 deep.
joe rogan
Entourage!
gary clark-jr
Hit me up.
Hey man, can you get me into this spot?
How many people you got?
A couple.
joe rogan
When Dave rolled, when Dave Chappelle came to the mothership, he came with three SUVs.
unidentified
He's got, he had like three Escalades fill of people.
gary clark-jr
How do you fit anywhere?
joe rogan
Oh man, he's got family, he's got friends, fellow comedians, musicians.
He just travels with people.
He loves it.
It's like a party everywhere he goes.
gary clark-jr
I get that.
I understand that.
joe rogan
He hasn't managed well.
He has good people with him.
He knows what he's doing, but the way he's got it set up is pretty fun.
Every day is a good time.
Get a vitamin IV trip.
gary clark-jr
Yep.
I was around for that.
I was around.
Yeah, I was definitely around for some of those fun times.
It's good to hang with that crew.
joe rogan
Yeah.
That's a dude that was an entourage.
That's an entourage.
gary clark-jr
I get that.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I get it.
Yeah, I could never be that guy.
I like to roll solo.
I like to just kind of be on my own.
I can make my own decisions.
If I want to pivot, go left, I can go left.
If I want to go right, I can go right.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I don't necessarily have to.
Maybe that's selfish of me and kind of a lone wolf.
joe rogan
No, it's probably smart because it gives you time to think.
I think the problem with Dave is he's so famous he can't be alone.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
He can't just show up somewhere.
All of a sudden, he won't be alone.
There'll be a giant crowd of people like, Oh my God!
They just go crazy.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
I can't believe you're real.
gary clark-jr
I get that.
joe rogan
Bro, can I take a picture with you?
gary clark-jr
I get the every now and then dude who plays guitar.
He's like, Man, I've been watching you since I was a kid.
Or really drunk.
Like an older lady who wants to kiss on me while I'm hanging out waiting for some to-go food or whatever.
That's kind of my interaction.
joe rogan
That's good.
That's a good level of interaction.
A certain level, like a Dave Chappelle level, I think it becomes unmanageable.
I was having a conversation with Cat Williams about that.
I asked him to come to the club.
He's like, I don't do clubs.
I was going to get nervous being around all those people.
They're too close to me.
gary clark-jr
I was like, you got too famous.
joe rogan
You got too famous.
He has to have an entourage.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I mean, I get that.
I get that.
That's a perspective that I don't know anything about.
I'm just speaking from a dude who, you know, a small community of music folks.
You know, I can move around.
joe rogan
It's perfect.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it's pretty good.
joe rogan
Where you're at's perfect.
gary clark-jr
I know.
It's good.
But I want these people to buy millions and millions of records and fill up arenas.
unidentified
You know?
joe rogan
At the same time.
gary clark-jr
Right, exactly.
I think I've kind of, you know, fucked myself.
I was like, I should have gone like the Gorillaz route or like Daft Punk or something like that where you're in a mask or...
unidentified
You know what I mean?
gary clark-jr
You could just show up anywhere.
joe rogan
That's true, right?
Gorillaz can just hide.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
KISS had that forever.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
You know?
I remember when KISS took their makeup off, everybody was like...
gary clark-jr
What year was that?
joe rogan
Like the 80s, I think.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
I think it was the 80s.
It was Kiss Unmasked.
gary clark-jr
I couldn't imagine.
Like, oh my god.
joe rogan
They used to be able to go around town.
So they would go out and, like, they would, like, I remember Gene Simmons was dating Cher.
And he would go out, but he put a bandana on, like, during COVID times.
gary clark-jr
Oh, right.
joe rogan
Yeah.
So we almost got a picture of him.
So there's like half blurry pictures of someone's side of their face with their hand up.
That's all you gotta kiss forever.
gary clark-jr
That's cool.
I kind of miss those days of that mystique.
joe rogan
You got a comic for it?
Does that really look great?
Yeah, see how he's wearing the bandana?
That's how you used to go around town.
He used to wear a bandana.
You know how ridiculous that is?
It's 1980?
jamie vernon
Yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah, I was like going into high school when they did that.
gary clark-jr
Oh, damn.
unidentified
What a crew, man.
joe rogan
They didn't get the love they deserved because people had already thought it was corny to have makeup on for some reason.
They didn't have real hit records.
Their songs didn't play on the radio that much.
If they played on the radio, it was rare.
gary clark-jr
You don't think so?
Well, I... I kind of grew up, KISS being a household name already.
joe rogan
Yeah, well they were huge!
They sold millions of records, they sold out arenas, but they weren't getting love on the radio.
It was just fans.
And there was a thing that were like, people would be embarrassed to be a KISS fan.
gary clark-jr
Really?
joe rogan
Yeah, yeah.
You'd be embarrassed.
Other kids would make fun of you.
gary clark-jr
Why?
joe rogan
Because you're like those idiots with makeup on.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Like, bro, KISS is the shit.
gary clark-jr
That doesn't even seem like a thing now.
joe rogan
Now it's not.
But you have to realize, like, in the 1980s, it was a thing.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
Yeah, people would mock you if you're into KISS. Damn.
And then they became cool again.
They became cool again somewhere in the 90s when they started going on tour again with makeup.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
So they were gonna do like one last final tour, they decided, but that was bullshit.
They just kept going.
gary clark-jr
Everyone does a last tour.
Last, last, last, last.
joe rogan
That's those marketing guys.
I'll tell you what, Gary.
Yeah.
This is your final tour.
This is what we're gonna say.
unidentified
He doesn't have a really final tour, but we'll sell it as your final tour.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, we're gonna melt the shit out of this.
joe rogan
People are gonna love it.
They're gonna be very excited to go see the last time.
Gary's gonna become a photographer.
He's just really gotten into photography, and we're gonna have to respect that.
gary clark-jr
We're gonna have to respect his wishes.
joe rogan
But this is his last tour.
Gary, don't quit.
Don't go into pictures.
Don't go into photography, Gary!
unidentified
Don't do it!
joe rogan
Kiss came back in the 90s and I went to see him with Kevin James.
Me and Kevin James went to see Kiss when they came back.
We were like, this is amazing!
gary clark-jr
Is that in Hollywood?
joe rogan
I think it was.
I think it was in LA. I think we saw it in LA. It was incredible.
It was incredible.
With the makeup on, all the shit.
gary clark-jr
Fire!
Man, those guys really turned rock and roll into entertainment.
You know what I mean?
It was every single aspect of the show, from the costumes to the pyro, the timing, the crazy antics, and then selling it, this big, huge thing with the merch and the dolls and the crazy shit.
It was like...
I mean, they made it known that Kiss was a fucking thing.
And they had the fans, I guess, to push it.
joe rogan
They had a one hour long TV show.
gary clark-jr
I don't know.
joe rogan
Where it was like a movie, like a made for TV movie.
It was Kiss and the Phantom of the Park.
And in the middle of it, like three quarters of the way into the show, the fucking power went on at my house.
I was like, no.
I can't believe this.
I can't believe it shut off.
The power shut off.
I was like, this is so fucked.
This is Kiss and the Phantom of the Park.
It was like a real corny, made-for-TV movie.
gary clark-jr
How long were you waiting for this thing?
joe rogan
Well, when you were a Kiss fan, first of all, you had to find out from, like, the newspaper.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Like, how did you even know?
Or you had to read the TV guide.
Like, what?
Kiss has got a movie?
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
And it was maybe the dumbest movie that's ever been made.
It's pretty dumb.
It's so dumb.
And, like, look at this.
unidentified
It's so corny.
joe rogan
I mean, I might have to go back and watch it now.
It's so corny.
It's literally so ridiculous.
It's so bad.
gary clark-jr
So they're out here whooping ass?
joe rogan
Oh yeah, they were superheroes.
They became superheroes for a while.
gary clark-jr
I did not know this.
unidentified
Easy, Catman.
They are serious.
gary clark-jr
And they've got guns.
joe rogan
This is ridiculous.
Oh, it was so ridiculous.
It was one of the dumbest movies that's ever been made.
gary clark-jr
My favorite shit to watch is the dumbest shit.
joe rogan
This is so dumb it might have been made by the Chinese.
They might have done it to subvert American institutions.
They might have done it to try to ruin young minds and just lower the standards of what is acceptable to the point where, you know, they can invade.
gary clark-jr
I mean, that's a power move for sure.
joe rogan
That's what they're doing right now.
gary clark-jr
That's a power move.
joe rogan
That's what they're doing right now with TikTok.
gary clark-jr
Man.
joe rogan
I firmly believe that.
Russia and China are just fucking us sideways.
gary clark-jr
I'll tell you right now, man, I've been having conversations about music and sharing music and the way to be on TikTok.
It's the way to get everybody to this crazy, fucked up, weird place.
It's nasty in there.
joe rogan
Well, it's something that people are not designed to manage.
They don't know how to manage it.
They don't know what that experience is.
It's new to the human anatomy.
To have something that you're staring at, that you keep in your pocket, that carries 20 hours of battery life.
And just flipping through things all day long.
Just giving a little tiny drip of dopamine every time.
Not much.
Just enough to keep you interested.
Just flipping through that fucking phone all day long.
It's changing the way people view things.
It's changing what's acceptable.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
I've noticed that it changed me when we were sitting down for a little while because I was just in my phone.
That was the only way that I was getting information.
I wasn't hanging out with people.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
It changes your anxiety levels.
gary clark-jr
That's what I realized.
It changed my anxiety levels.
I was not sleeping.
I was drinking a lot more than I normally would just because I was, like, overthinking shit.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know?
joe rogan
That was COVID, too, though.
The isolation.
Yeah.
I'm not saying that this is what they did, but if you wanted to do that, if you wanted to turn a population into a bunch of cowards, One of the best ways is to isolate everybody.
Isolate everybody, get them scared, give them one solution to get out of this thing.
Everybody else against that solution is the enemy and they're gonna stop us from getting back to normal.
Oh, absolutely.
You could do that through social media, especially through Twitter, better than you can with anything.
It's a weird way to get information.
I broke my phone once.
I was in Hawaii.
With my family, I dropped my phone.
It just started making phone calls.
I would go, look at this.
I was showing my wife.
I go, look at this.
I hang up, call someone else.
Hang up, call someone else.
Just calling people.
Wouldn't stop calling people.
So I had to shut it off, and I had to get a new phone, but it took three days for the phone to get there.
So for three days, I had no phone.
Because every time I turned my phone, I would just start calling people.
So for three whole days, I had no phone.
And I was like, ooh, I feel so much better.
And then part of me was like, you know what?
Fuck phones.
You should just have a phone and have nothing else.
Nope.
Nope.
Went right back to it.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Right back to Instagram.
Right back to Twitter.
Right back to YouTube.
unidentified
I know.
joe rogan
Right back to Google.
gary clark-jr
I know.
joe rogan
Right back.
unidentified
I know.
gary clark-jr
I did the same shit.
joe rogan
One person sends me a meme.
Oh shit.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it's over.
It's over.
You're back in the game, man.
joe rogan
Someone sends me a funny video.
I gotta sign back up for Instagram.
Alright, let me see this.
Oh shit.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I got your same problem.
I got your same problem.
I gotta just...
I have to consciously just leave it.
Yeah.
joe rogan
Well, I have one phone that has nothing on it.
I have one phone that has no apps.
Doesn't have anything on it.
So if someone sends me, I gotta send a link to my other phone.
gary clark-jr
Nice.
joe rogan
And most of the time I don't click that link.
gary clark-jr
There's the hack.
joe rogan
That's the hack.
At least it's cut me back about 30% for sure.
30% of paying attention to shit.
Unless someone says, you have to see this.
This is insane.
You know, okay.
gary clark-jr
I could use that 30%.
joe rogan
Yeah.
I'll use it.
gary clark-jr
I'm gonna use that.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, for sure.
joe rogan
That way also you can cut down On the amount of people that have your phone phone.
You got your phone, and you got your phone phone.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
And the phone phone is like, this is the one that, like, 20 people have.
That's the way to go.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I was doing that for a while.
When I lived in New York, I was doing that.
And then I just got, I was wearing skinny jeans, and I couldn't do the skinny jean two phone thing, and my wallet and my keys.
It just was ridiculous.
joe rogan
You didn't accept the fanny pack in your life.
gary clark-jr
Well, look...
joe rogan
Ah, the satchel.
gary clark-jr
I've showed up with the satchel, bro.
I'm converted.
joe rogan
The satchel is the artist's version of the fanny pack.
The fanny pack is saying, I don't give a fuck.
The fanny pack is like, I'm a nerd, I'm a loser, I don't care, I do not care.
gary clark-jr
I'm not ready for that yet, Joe.
joe rogan
Well, in Texas, you see people carrying fanny packs, a lot of those fanny packs have guns in them.
Especially those big ones.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
I know where I'm at.
joe rogan
Yeah, yeah.
gary clark-jr
I definitely know where I'm at.
joe rogan
There's a reason you see that dude with a fucking Bass Pro Shop hat and a fucking flannel t-shirt on.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah, that guy.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
With that fanny pack?
unidentified
Mm-hmm.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Don't try.
joe rogan
Origin boots on.
Yeah, that dude.
There's something in that.
That's a heavy fanny pack.
gary clark-jr
I just see them cats and I just go, hey.
Howdy.
Good day.
joe rogan
That's why I see people out here getting...
I saw some dude getting road rage the other night at South by Southwest.
gary clark-jr
Bro.
joe rogan
Bro, this guy jumped out of his car, ran to the car in front of him, started yelling at the driver.
I was like, do not do that, sir.
I do not want to watch you get shot.
gary clark-jr
You gotta...
They gotta be from out of town, because you can't do...
joe rogan
South by Southwest.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You can't do road rage here, bro.
unidentified
No.
gary clark-jr
You cannot.
joe rogan
No.
It goes south too quick.
gary clark-jr
People don't fuck around out here.
joe rogan
They don't fuck around and they also don't know you.
They watch too much YouTube, too.
They're watching too much Instagram, too.
They're seeing all the fucking riots and craziness and people getting pulled out of their cars.
Everyone's seen those videos of someone getting fucked up in some sort of a road rage situation.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Any sense of a threat people are going...
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Hair trigger, like, real quick.
joe rogan
Road rage in particular, because everybody's...
People don't understand.
I've said this ad nauseum, but I'll say it again.
When you're in a car, you're hyper alert because you're going fast, there's all these things around you, and you always have to be ready.
So your brain is at a seven already.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
So when someone cuts you off, it's like, motherfucker!
That's why, like, on the street, if someone gets in front of you on the street, it means nothing.
Because you don't have to worry about crashing.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
There's no fear of this person stepping in front of you.
It means nothing.
Right.
Like, I have no worry that I'm going to crash into this man in front of me and we're both going to die.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
But when you're in a car and some guy changes lanes in front of you, you're like, motherfucker, dude!
What are you doing, bitch?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You roll down the window, you fucking idiot!
And then you see him at the stop sign, you jump out of your car.
Oh, dude.
Don't do it.
gary clark-jr
I'm guilty of...
I'm yelling at people in my car.
joe rogan
As long as you stay in the car.
gary clark-jr
I will motherfuck somebody with the windows up.
joe rogan
Yes.
gary clark-jr
That's fine.
joe rogan
Normal.
gary clark-jr
That's normal behavior.
And then I get to the light and I just give them a look like, you know I saw what you did.
I'm just acknowledging that I'm not...
Down with the bullshit, I just want you to know that I saw you.
unidentified
I don't want no problems, but just check, check.
joe rogan
Come on, man.
It's a come on, man.
And if it's a reasonable person, that person's like, what the fuck did I do that for?
If it's a reasonable person.
gary clark-jr
My favorite, though, is when they just keep looking forward.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I know you can feel this.
I know you can feel this.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Well, it's interesting watching the Texas culture get invaded by the California culture.
You can see it in how they drive.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
The people that are cutting people off and rushing to nowhere.
You see it in how they drive.
gary clark-jr
I notice it.
I avoid certain streets based on that.
So I'm like, where the fuck did y'all come from, man?
joe rogan
Well, that was South by Southwest.
South by Southwest is basically like L.A. comes to Austin.
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I stayed away for the most part.
I had a couple of events during South by, but...
I love my city, but that shit has just gotten crazy, man.
joe rogan
Those festivals are nuts.
gary clark-jr
It's wild.
I used to have this one parking spot that people thought was a handicap spot, but it wasn't.
Like right on the line.
And I figured this out from years of spending way too much time wandering around on 6th Street.
And I remember one year they took that spot away and I was driving around for like an hour and a half looking for parking.
Fuck this place, man!
This ain't my city no more!
I love you, Austin, but yeah, I was like, oh man, the game has definitely changed.
joe rogan
While we were driving to the club last night, we looked up, we saw five skyscrapers being built.
There's five skyscrapers being built right now.
gary clark-jr
I know all those folks who are building on this stuff.
I know them.
They're like my neighbors and shit.
So they're like, come blow the city up and then come back to the country.
joe rogan
But there's so many apartment buildings being built.
gary clark-jr
It's happening.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's wild.
I've never seen a city grow like this.
gary clark-jr
I haven't either.
I haven't either.
But I think it was inevitable.
I mean, I think it was just one of them things.
What's too good?
Well, yeah.
joe rogan
It's just too much of a gem.
gary clark-jr
I blame you a little bit.
joe rogan
A little bit.
I'm responsible.
I know I'm responsible for at least 20 or 30 comedians.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, no, absolutely.
Which is amazing because, you know, that's my favorite shit is you guys being down the street and come hang.
But yeah, the city has grown in a way that...
It's somewhat unrecognizable to me.
Like everything that I kind of grew up on, grew up with, all my spots I used to hang out in are gone now.
So I was saying something to my old man the other day.
And he was like, man, shut the fuck up.
He's like, I've been here my whole life.
And what do you think that I think?
What do you think that I've seen?
It's just change is inevitable.
If you look at pictures from 1836, it's not the same spot.
You know what I mean?
So it's just, it's what's happening right now.
It's a crazy time to be a part of it and see it up close, you know, because I'm watching my little town, seeing familiar faces.
All of a sudden, it's like this new energy.
There's new folks around.
There's new business.
There's a new Business sense here.
It's cool and funny and funky.
It's just change happening.
I'm in the middle of watching it.
joe rogan
Yeah.
I was hanging out with Elon at the very beginning of the pandemic, whenever I was scared to be inside.
And I was telling him my plans to open up the club and all that stuff.
And we were just talking about Austin.
He's like, Austin's going to go supernova.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
He was right.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, he was right.
Called it.
joe rogan
Yeah, he called it.
But it's still manageable.
gary clark-jr
The traffic is nothing compared to LA. Man, I like it.
I like that there's new shit here.
In a city that I grew up in, and you're looking for some excitement, it's like it comes to you.
You don't have to go look for it.
Just get in my car and come see some new shit.
It's...
It's exciting for me.
It's all my favorite stuff happening around here too.
joe rogan
I think it's good.
I think it's overall good.
And also I think that the people that are moving here are embracing This new life.
They're embracing, like, it's a new city, it's a new vibe, new way of behaving, people are more friendly.
So I think people adapt to that.
When people move to an environment, they adapt to that environment.
You know, they move to this town, they sort of take up the energy of the town, and this town already has, like, an established energy.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I'm still concerned about the driving, though.
joe rogan
Because they're getting aggressive?
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Different.
They drive different.
unidentified
It's a little different.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
It's a little different.
But, yeah, I mean, yeah, you move to a place that you love the energy, I suppose.
It takes a little while to adapt.
I mean, I'm just watching it happen.
I'm watching it happen.
It's cool to me.
joe rogan
The tech people I worry about more than anybody.
Because they're not artists.
Like the tech people moving here.
What they've done to San Francisco.
Those people with those wacky woke ideas.
gary clark-jr
I'm not even thinking about that.
joe rogan
That scares the shit out of me.
Because there's a lot of them.
I mean, look at that giant ass fucking building that they built.
That's a Google building, right?
Or a Facebook building.
Which one is it?
unidentified
Both of them.
joe rogan
Which one's the sale?
That cool sale?
Google.
They put a giant ass building right on the lake.
gary clark-jr
I don't even know if I noticed that.
joe rogan
It's a giant-ass building right on Cesar Chavez.
But then they just fired like 15,000 people, so I think that place is mostly like vacant.
gary clark-jr
Did they just overshoot?
joe rogan
I think they overshoot.
That's it.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
That's a dope building.
So I think they overshot, and I also think the reality is AI is coming.
And there's so many people that are working in tech that will not have a job in five years.
The job will be nonsense.
They'll be like, you know, asking a person to make steel beams in his backyard with a fucking hammer and a pot.
No.
Why would we do it that way?
That's a stupid way to do it.
We have steel mills, stupid.
Why would I let you make your own girders?
That's dumb.
It's dumb.
It doesn't make any sense.
What we can do now, AI's going to be able to do better, more efficiently, much quicker, cheaper, no hiring people, no worrying about insurance or any of that shit that you have to worry about with people, 401k plans.
All that shit's gone.
And this is something that Andrew Yang was talking about when he was running for president in, I guess it was 2020. He was talking about that.
And he was right.
He was right.
That there's some things that are happening.
Was that 2020 or 2016 with Andrew Yang?
I don't remember.
16. And he was very concerned even back then.
So this is eight years ago.
He was saying, like, AI's coming.
And that's why he was pushing for universal basic income.
So that's why he was pushing for universal basic income.
He was saying, look, there's going to be so many people that there are no jobs.
If you're a truck driver, you have 10 years.
In 10 years, everything will be automated.
There'll all be those giant electric trucks.
They'll all be run by a computer.
They'll never get in accidents, and they never get tired, and you never have to worry about them doing meth and picking up hookers, going crazy, falling asleep at the wheel, and driving into a fair.
gary clark-jr
That's what makes the best Cops episodes.
joe rogan
That's a world, huh?
That truck driver world?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
That's a world of wild folks.
gary clark-jr
Well, you know, we tour on buses, and we've got to fuel up in the same places where they do.
And, yeah, it's a funky world out there.
joe rogan
It's a funky world.
A lot of dudes on amphetamines doing 12-, 13-hour runs, just wide eyes.
Huge pupils.
Just listening to fucking conspiracy theories on the radio.
gary clark-jr
We had one of them drive us.
joe rogan
Did you?
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Crashed the bus.
joe rogan
Oh, no.
Really?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Well, not crashed the bus, but I kind of ran the bus into a...
He ruined the bus.
He was all doped up and super drunk.
joe rogan
Oh no.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, we didn't realize he was going through any of this type of stuff.
So we were leaving the gig one night and sure enough he pulled the bus and crashed it into the gate.
joe rogan
Oh no.
gary clark-jr
I had to grab this motherfucker.
joe rogan
So he was fucked up at the gig?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
So he got fucked up while the show was going on.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I think he'd just been going for, I guess, maybe a bender.
We had a couple days off, I think, in a certain city.
Dude was just gone, I guess.
unidentified
He just got into it and said, fuck it.
gary clark-jr
He just hit the fuck it button.
I was like, man, fuck all this shit.
I don't care.
joe rogan
Yeah, that's a danger, right?
Because you're just trusting this dude.
And it's not like you're going to drug test him every day.
gary clark-jr
No.
joe rogan
He's a driver.
You trust him.
He's a professional.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, he's got a resume.
People have recommended him for, you know, years and years and years.
joe rogan
He does his job.
You do your job.
How you doing, Frank?
I'm going to sit down on the bus.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Meanwhile, Frank is just gone.
gary clark-jr
Nah, we didn't.
We didn't.
Yeah.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Frank is on coke and tequila.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, been at the hotel lobby bar just going after him.
All day long.
unidentified
Wow.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, shows up.
He's like, hey, Ryde's here.
joe rogan
Oh, boy.
And he's like, I got this.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
I got this.
gary clark-jr
We just met him, I guess, at the wrong time.
Yeah.
joe rogan
You could have caught him a month earlier.
Everything would have been fine.
gary clark-jr
Been cool.
Ha!
Yeah.
joe rogan
It's a balancing act for a guy like Frank.
gary clark-jr
But, you know, I think about those truck drivers, man, and, you know, bus drivers who drive at all funky weird times at night.
joe rogan
It's a lonely life.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
It's a lonely life.
If you have a family, too, you're sad.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
Your family's at home.
It's 12 hours of driving to get back there.
gary clark-jr
Mm-hmm.
joe rogan
And then you're only there for a little while.
You gotta go back again.
unidentified
Mm-hmm.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Man, that's what kind of has been my problem with touring the way we've been touring is being gone multiple times for long periods of time during the year.
joe rogan
I only did that once.
I only did the month thing once.
Me and Charlie Murphy and John Heffron, we did this Bud Light Real Men A Comedy Tour once.
Well, we did 22 dates in 30 days.
And we were just out basically every night.
Wake up in a hotel room, where am I? Where am I? I forgot where I am.
And after that, I was like, I'm never doing that again.
Like, Tom Segura, that crazy fuck, he'll do like 60 dates in a row.
He'll be gone for two months where he has a show almost every night.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
And he's just going all over the place.
His name, the name of his tour was I'm Coming Everywhere.
unidentified
Brilliant.
Brilliant!
joe rogan
But, you know, that's what he was doing.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, literally.
Everywhere.
Yeah, everywhere.
joe rogan
Everywhere.
gary clark-jr
I mean, I get that.
I would love to do just weekend fly dates, do stuff like that, but I got a whole band and production, and my band's getting bigger, and so, you know, that's like...
I've got to do it, but I've decided this time I'm just gonna bring my family with me and just, you know, have them grow up out on the road instead of...
joe rogan
You did that for a while, right?
You took your son when you were in Europe?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I took him out there.
joe rogan
That's gotta be a great experience for him.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it was great.
It was great for him.
That little motherfucker just, he didn't want to play guitar, though, until he saw Slash.
I think I told you.
He's like, man...
Yeah, so I think I'd rather have them come out and hang with me this time.
joe rogan
Yeah, that's safer.
It's more fun.
You don't get as sad and lonely, and they don't feel weird.
And for them, it's an experience.
Like, wow, I get to see what Dad's doing.
This is crazy.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Instead of just, like, FaceTiming them.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know, and picking up weird lingo from their funky-ass friends at school.
What the fuck did you just say to me?
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Did you just call me bruh?
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Nah, you're coming with me.
joe rogan
Yeah, my kid started saying cap.
Cap and no cap.
I was like, what?
unidentified
What is that?
joe rogan
What does that even mean?
I don't know.
Where'd that come from?
gary clark-jr
I don't know.
joe rogan
I don't know either.
gary clark-jr
Times are a change.
joe rogan
Times are a change.
gary clark-jr
But yeah, it's...
joe rogan
That's a better way to do it.
But it's a different thing with a band, you know?
You got a whole band.
You got a bunch of other people.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You know, the crazy thing, we were just talking, I was talking to Shane Gillis, and he was talking about his experience hosting Saturday Night Live.
And he's like, Saturday Night Live only pays you $5,000.
It's like, you host it for a week, it's $5,000.
We're like, that's crazy.
But then I talked to Pat from the Black Keys, and he was telling me, he's like, you want to hear it even crazier?
He was like, when you do a late night show, it costs you money.
Because you've got to fly everybody out there, you've got a band, you've got hotels, you've got this, you've got that.
It costs you $50,000 to do a late night show.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Oh, absolutely.
I just did that a couple times.
Yeah.
unidentified
Catch me on such and such.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Watch them shits.
Buy the album.
Yeah.
It's funky, like the whole promo thing and to do late night television.
It's...
joe rogan
How effective is it now?
gary clark-jr
Debatable?
I don't know.
I don't know how effective it is.
It's not what it used to be.
I don't think so.
I mean, from my experience, TV, promo, certain ways that were, I guess, the only way to move.
It's not moving the needle as much.
Maybe it's just for me, my personal experience.
joe rogan
I think it's for everybody.
gary clark-jr
But it's not really moving like it used to, but it is still important in some capacity.
I don't understand it, you know?
But I'm a fan, so to go play The Late Show with Letterman, to go play The Tonight Show, that's a dream to me as a kid.
I love to be able to do that, to be able to step in that building and play Saturday Night Live, do whatever.
It's a thing, but it's...
You know, you're investing in something where you're not really quite sure what the return is.
joe rogan
Right.
But still, you're doing it because you just want to do it.
It's a cool milestone.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah.
And also, you know, in a record business, you got to be everywhere, you know?
And you got to do that and also be your own promotion on social media, which is a wild thing, you know?
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
And people are leaning on TikTok.
I mean, I have meetings with folks about You know, what's the plan?
What's the strategy?
What are we doing?
Well, we gotta get traction on TikTok.
We gotta do this.
So I caught myself a couple times doing some goofy ass shit for TikTok.
And I'm like, I don't like this, man.
This doesn't feel good to me.
joe rogan
Right.
It feels whorish.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it feels whorish.
It's not in my character.
It feels fishy.
It feels reachy.
It feels gross.
And it's like, well, this is kind of what's happening in the business.
And I'm like, well, I don't know if this is...
And these are these debates.
Well, this is where it's going.
I'm like, that's why I'm going to go be a fucking photographer.
It doesn't feel...
unidentified
Like it should feel to me.
Right.
joe rogan
It doesn't feel authentic.
gary clark-jr
Not at all.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
And everything is...
You can't film sideways anymore.
Everything's got to be vertical for the algorithm.
What the fuck are we talking about?
joe rogan
Right.
gary clark-jr
Let's talk about some music.
I feel like James Brown in it.
joe rogan
Isn't it weird that the shape of the phone dictated the way you hold it?
gary clark-jr
It's wild to me.
And that's what we're talking about in music business meetings.
That's funky.
joe rogan
Because remember, before TikTok became huge, Andrew Schultz had that thing that he was doing on Instagram, like, turn your phone sideways.
So he was telling everybody, hey, turn your phone sideways.
They turned their phone sideways, and then he had it that way.
gary clark-jr
Simple.
joe rogan
Simple.
gary clark-jr
Right?
joe rogan
Simple.
Yeah.
But now it became all about the reels, and you've got to be able to flip up from one reel to the next, so now it has to be vertical.
gary clark-jr
And then it just keeps you going, it keeps you going, it keeps you going, it keeps you going, it keeps you going.
joe rogan
What's gonna happen if those foldable things get adopted by everybody?
I went into a rabbit hole last night.
I got into foldables.
Because I have one.
I have a Z Fold Flip 4, whatever the fuck it is.
gary clark-jr
What is that?
joe rogan
Never used it.
It's a Samsung foldable phone.
I was like, this could be great.
I'll be watching YouTube videos, much larger, but then you're carrying this brick around your pocket.
And it folds.
It's weird.
The whole thing is weird.
But eventually, I know a lot of people that have adopted those because they don't want to take a laptop with them.
So if they have to answer an email, they'll open up the fold so they can have a laptop with them.
Set up basically in this 10-inch or 8-inch thing.
They've got this little thing and then folds it and it's the size of a regular phone.
So what are they going to do then?
If Apple releases a fold phone, that's when it's going to take off.
Because right now only Android phones have that now.
And, you know, that's only, like, a certain percentage of the people, especially, like, people that are, you know, like, most of the social media platforms are, they're made better on iPhones.
Like, their apps are better.
They're optimized for iPhones.
If they start doing an Apple foldable phone, I wonder if it'll be a different thing.
Now you have to hold it sideways.
Everybody's doing sideways now.
gary clark-jr
I don't know.
That's beyond my...
joe rogan
But that thing is, though, if a thing organically becomes viral, like if you have a song that you put out and organically becomes viral, there's no better promotion.
There's nothing better.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Because everyone can share it.
I go, oh, check this out.
I'll share it to friends.
They'll share it to their friends.
They'll put it on Instagram.
They'll put it here.
They'll put it there.
They'll put it on Twitter.
And then next thing you know...
gary clark-jr
Yeah, but you never know what it's gonna be, right?
joe rogan
You can't.
You never know what it's gonna be.
gary clark-jr
Vegas.
You have no idea.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's a lottery.
It's crazy.
Some things hit and you're like, how?
And then other things don't hit and you're like, how did we miss this one?
There's a song that we play.
All the time.
Can't play it anymore because of YouTube.
Now we're on YouTube.
This is dude Johnny Thunder.
He wrote this song, I'm Alive, from 1969. You ever heard this song?
Bro, we'll cut it out.
We'll cut it out.
Jamie, play this song.
We'll cut this out.
So the people on YouTube, just go look up Johnny Thunder, I'm Alive.
So this is a 1969 song.
What the fuck did they do to Johnny Thunder?
How did that happen?
What did they do to Johnny Thunder?
gary clark-jr
I've never heard that.
joe rogan
How did he not become a superstar?
gary clark-jr
That's everything right there.
joe rogan
It's everything.
gary clark-jr
That's rock and roll, baby.
joe rogan
It's amazing.
And it's 1969. That is rock and roll.
And Johnny's not with us anymore.
He's gone.
jamie vernon
How did you find that?
joe rogan
Bryan Simpson.
Bryan Simpson came into the green room and was like, dude, you gotta hear this fucking song.
jamie vernon
It was just written by someone else.
joe rogan
Written by someone else.
jamie vernon
It's also on a Mountain Dew commercial right now.
joe rogan
1968 it was released.
It's in a Mountain Dew commercial.
Mountain Dew's been listening to this podcast, guarantee.
gary clark-jr
Thank you for sharing that, man.
That was incredible.
joe rogan
How good is that song?
gary clark-jr
That was...
That's like hearing Hendrix for the first time.
joe rogan
Right, right.
Like, that's a superstar.
Like, that's not just good.
That changes your feeling.
Your skin gets goosebumps.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I was going through it.
I was going through a lot.
joe rogan
I heard it a thousand times.
I still go through it.
gary clark-jr
That was powerful.
joe rogan
It's powerful.
That guy should have been a superstar.
gary clark-jr
Damn.
joe rogan
Johnny Thunder should have been the fucking man.
gary clark-jr
That's like my new shit.
joe rogan
Is this another one?
jamie vernon
Tom Jones?
joe rogan
Oh, this is the other version of it.
The other version sucks.
gary clark-jr
Oh, I'm cool on this.
No disrespect.
joe rogan
No disrespect.
gary clark-jr
I want that.
I want the other version to be resonating.
joe rogan
That other version is fine if I didn't know that Johnny Thunder existed.
But the thing is, if a guy can make a song like that, if Johnny Thunder can make a song like I'm Alive, How is he?
I feel like you just gotta get the right songwriters, the right people with him, and you got a fucking superstar.
How did they fuck that up?
If I heard that once, if I was like a music producer or an executive and I went to see this guy live and I heard that, I'd be like, sign him.
Sign him.
He's the one, man.
gary clark-jr
Twice.
joe rogan
He's the one.
That dude's out there?
He's out there?
And no one knows?
No one knew.
And this is...
jamie vernon
I forgot we found this Bob Dylan quote before, I think.
joe rogan
What did he say?
Bob Dylan, who heard Thunder's I'm Alive on radio, was asked for Rolling Stones' Yawn Wenner that year if he was impressed by anything in the rock music scene and pointed to the song.
Never heard of it either, huh?
Well, I can't believe it.
Everyone I've talked to, I've asked them, and they've heard that record.
It was one of the most powerful records I've ever heard.
It's called I'm Alive by Johnny Thunder.
Well, it was that sentiment truly expressed.
That's the most I can say.
If you heard the record, you'd know what I mean.
Yeah.
Meanwhile, no one fucking knew.
Oh, Samsung used it in 2015. Samsung used it in their advertisement for the Galaxy S6 Edge in 2015. It was also used in the soundtrack of the 2018 film, American Animals.
Since the 1960s, Thunders has continued to tour internationally, but has regularly appeared on luxury cruise ships.
gary clark-jr
Wow.
joe rogan
In the Caribbean and elsewhere.
He's dead though, right?
No, he's still alive.
Oh, I thought he wasn't around anymore.
jamie vernon
Gil Hamilton.
joe rogan
His name is Gil Hamilton.
He's 91 years old.
Wow.
gary clark-jr
Okay.
joe rogan
Okay.
I was under the impression someone told me he wasn't around anymore.
Bro, let me tell you something.
That don't make any sense.
That doesn't make any sense.
No.
That's like...
Like a comic like Kinison doing that thing about a starving children ad on television.
You ever see that bit?
gary clark-jr
Uh-uh.
joe rogan
Kinison had this bit about starving children on TV. Like you're at home, just making your food, sitting down in front of the TV, and Sally Struthers is on TV. Won't you please help?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right.
joe rogan
And he goes, instead of sending these people food, send them something like me.
Someone's going to go there and go, hey, we just drove 5,000 miles where your food is, and we realized...
jamie vernon
It's the only other recording that he might have.
that or not there might be a few more but it's doing a children's nursery rhyme he was convinced to do like his first thing as Johnny Thunder that's interesting Hmm.
joe rogan
Edit that out.
gary clark-jr
Don't hit quite the same.
joe rogan
No, that doesn't hit the same.
No, I'm Alive was the song.
You just need to get the right songs with the dude.
But if he could do that...
You got magic.
It's in a bottle.
Now you gotta figure out what's the formula.
Get some writers.
Get some really good songwriters.
Sit down with that dude and let him go.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Sometimes you just catch one.
Sometimes you just catch a wave and you just go, man.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
And you keep trying to chase that thing and it's just never the same.
joe rogan
That is the craziest thing.
The one-hit wonder.
That is the craziest thing, because sometimes those hits are bangers.
gary clark-jr
Right.
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
It's just one.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
You just catch it.
joe rogan
I feel like if Johnny Thunder knew the right people, he would have been huge.
unidentified
He needed a better PR team or something.
joe rogan
But even Bob Dylan in Rolling Stone was talking about him, and that wasn't enough.
gary clark-jr
What year was that article?
unidentified
It was that year?
I don't know, was that a race thing?
joe rogan
Well, Hendrix popped.
James Brown popped.
It just doesn't make sense that that guy's that good.
That feels like that's transcendent music.
That transcends everything.
That transcends culture.
That's something that everyone will listen to.
gary clark-jr
Maybe it was a little ahead of its time.
joe rogan
How?
How could that...
gary clark-jr
Because it just didn't...
joe rogan
But doesn't it sound like a hit?
gary clark-jr
It sounds like a hit now.
joe rogan
God damn, it had to sound like a hit back then.
gary clark-jr
But it probably sounded like, what the fuck is that coming through the radio?
joe rogan
I don't know, man.
If you listen to Peace Frog, that's like the same time with The Doors.
You know, there's like a lot of wild, funky music that comes from back then, you know?
gary clark-jr
Did that hit radio at the time?
joe rogan
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I don't know.
I don't know.
Some things are just amiss.
One of my favorite artists who I think doesn't get the light that they deserve is a guy called Arthur Alexander.
And this guy was like...
Americana, songwriting, blues, country, all of it.
I've never heard of them.
joe rogan
I've never heard of them.
gary clark-jr
Great songs, great songwriting, cool funky voice.
joe rogan
What's a song we should listen to?
gary clark-jr
There's a song called Anna.
There's a song called Go With Him.
joe rogan
Try Go With Him.
Let's try that one.
gary clark-jr
I think it's the same song.
joe rogan
Yeah, just cut it out again.
That song's a flex.
Think about what he's saying.
gary clark-jr
Go ahead.
joe rogan
That's a total flex.
Go with him.
gary clark-jr
Go.
joe rogan
If he loves you more, hey, I love you, but if he loves you more, that's a flex.
unidentified
Bye.
joe rogan
I know girls like that.
That's a very needy girl, and she's never going to be happy, and you just have to say, hey, whatever you want to do.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, go ahead.
joe rogan
I think you're awesome, but whatever you want to do.
gary clark-jr
I think you're awesome.
Nasty though.
joe rogan
There's some that you just can't hold on to.
You have to recognize that.
gary clark-jr
It's true.
That's the blues right there.
Go ahead.
There's another one too.
Shuggy Otis.
I don't know if you know Shuggy Otis.
joe rogan
No.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, man.
Shuggy Otis was one of them guys.
He's like...
Psychedelic, rock, funk, soul, dude.
I found these guys on the same trip.
My buddy Jay Moeller, who was touring with me at the time, was listening to this stuff.
It was just, like I said, psychedelic ahead of its time.
I think maybe 60, 70, 71, he put out a record called Inspiration Information.
Yeah.
And it's just like, you know, maybe a chocolate, a couple of bowls, sit back and you're going, yeah.
Yeah, great artist.
But, I mean, not as powerful as Johnny Thunder.
Like that, I'm Alive is...
joe rogan
That's a classic.
Damn.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, man.
Shitty Otis.
joe rogan
Do you get this mostly just from other artists that just tell you about stuff?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, a lot.
Yeah, that's kind of why I like to move around a little bit.
I'm still old school, hang out at the bar.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know, hey, what are you into?
I've been checking this out, check this out.
You know, I still go into record stores and just go ask, what do y'all like?
What do y'all listening to?
Like, just turn me on to something.
I don't care.
So they'll be like, hey, try this.
So I'll try it and either I love it or I don't, you know.
Yeah, I'm just curious.
joe rogan
Well, those bar conversations are underrated.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
They're the best.
gary clark-jr
They can be the best or the weirdest.
Yeah.
It's all of it.
It's an experience.
It's an experience.
Wow, that's what you had going on in there?
I'm sorry I asked.
joe rogan
My problem is I go to bars and everybody wants to talk to me about conspiracies.
They want to corner me.
Tell me about the government.
gary clark-jr
I bet.
Do you shake out of it?
joe rogan
Sometimes just get in.
Just jump in with them.
Let's go.
What do you think they're doing?
How come Trump didn't release the Kennedy assassination files?
That's the big one for me.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I got a couple people around me who get in deep with that and I just have to, my brain hurts.
I have to get out.
joe rogan
That one's crazy.
gary clark-jr
Smoke break for me.
joe rogan
They killed the president.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
And they got away with it.
And one of the guys that probably killed him was on the Warren Commission.
Alan Dulles.
He's probably one of the guys involved in the whole conspiracy.
There's so many people involved in that conspiracy.
They wanted him gone.
gary clark-jr
See, I don't follow that.
joe rogan
You don't want to.
Don't do it.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
That's probably one of those things.
Goff.
Yeah.
joe rogan
It's worse because it affects everything in the world.
And you realize that the world is run by psychopaths.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I don't know if I want to know all of it.
unidentified
Well, you know.
joe rogan
It's like a bouncing act.
You should probably know a little bit.
gary clark-jr
Of course.
joe rogan
Just so you don't get sucked into the bullshit.
Right.
gary clark-jr
Right.
Absolutely.
I mean, like I said, I got folks around me who keep me kind of in the loop a little bit.
joe rogan
You need a dedicated conspiracy analyst.
gary clark-jr
Just one?
unidentified
Just one dude.
gary clark-jr
It's just one source?
joe rogan
Just one dude who's just scouring the internet.
Right.
gary clark-jr
Well, if you find somebody, send them out.
joe rogan
Alex Jones.
I'll send them your number.
gary clark-jr
Just call him up and just let him go for a while?
joe rogan
This is what's going on, Gary.
unidentified
Thanks.
joe rogan
This is a very, very scary time.
Yeah.
Yeah, you...
If you do go too far down that rabbit hole, though, there's no end to that hole.
That hole goes to the beginning of civilization, and that's what's terrible.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
You know, the idea of what human history really is versus what human history...
What actually happened and what actually motivated all the things that happened.
It's fucking terrifying.
gary clark-jr
Well, yeah, I heard what you were talking about a few pods ago about...
You know, the real history and kind of going deep into that.
I mean, it kind of blew my mind.
I was like, okay.
Yeah.
That's things that I've heard about but never really gone deep into or done research on.
joe rogan
You don't want to.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Don't go down.
Bar talk's fine.
Let someone spit it at you at a bar.
You go home a little freaked out.
You get too deep into it.
It'll ruin your life.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
I remember being a kid in bars.
There's a few guys in particular who I don't know why they found that talking to me about this stuff was the thing.
I guess they were trying to get the message to the youth, but I remember in these smoky bars and going up back or standing out front and these guys telling me about all kinds of crazy, you know, things that I've never heard of.
You know, they're coming after you or they're doing this and such and such.
They did this.
And I'm like, I'm 15. Like, I have to get up and turn in a school project tomorrow.
I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
joe rogan
What were you doing at a bar at 15?
gary clark-jr
I was playing shows.
joe rogan
Really, at 15?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I was playing shows.
joe rogan
When did you first start playing live?
gary clark-jr
Uh, 98. I was 14. Wow!
Yeah.
joe rogan
How did that happen?
gary clark-jr
Well, I was in a boy band with my buddy Robbie.
We were going to be R&B superstars, we thought.
Then he moved to France.
My friend Eve was playing guitar.
We did a talent show in eighth grade, won like 25 bucks, and we were kind of hooked.
Went to a blues bar for her 15th birthday.
Played at a blues jam, like an open mic, you know?
And they invited us back and we just kept going.
I started booking gigs pretty soon after.
As a teenager, I was like this duo, like the Gary and Eve show.
And it was like me and this girl playing blues.
unidentified
Wow.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, so.
joe rogan
Fourteen.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, fourteen, fifteen.
joe rogan
What do you have to be blues about when you're fourteen?
gary clark-jr
My girlfriend left me for the lifeguard that she was working with during the summer, named Raul.
Yeah, that was my first, like, huh, alright.
joe rogan
Isn't it crazy that we dismiss the pain of the youth, but the breakups when you're 14 are the hardest ones you've ever experienced in your life.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, you don't know what to do.
joe rogan
You have no idea what this is.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
All of a sudden your world's gone.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
It all ended.
gary clark-jr
And everybody in your world knows that your world is gone.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know, walking through the hallways.
Look at that sad motherfucker.
joe rogan
Oh, she's with Mike now.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
And your boys are telling you, man, we just got such and such, you know, tongue kissing over there by the gym.
Right?
And you just gotta sit and, like, take that math test.
Go through it.
joe rogan
Meanwhile, she don't feel nothing.
gary clark-jr
Nothing at all.
joe rogan
She's gone.
gary clark-jr
Out of there.
joe rogan
Bye!
gary clark-jr
Yeah, out of there.
joe rogan
I don't want to be with you anymore.
Bye!
gary clark-jr
That's it.
That's it.
But somebody told me when I was a kid, what do you know about singing about the blues?
And you really don't know anything.
Or at least I didn't.
When it came to just how complex people are, how big the world is.
Right.
You know, certain struggles, like your little bullshit doesn't really mean anything.
It doesn't carry any weight compared to this, compared to that.
Right.
But yeah, man, that still hurts, man.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
That still hurts.
joe rogan
Yeah, people take their life.
They take their life.
And they get broken up with at 14, 15 years old.
gary clark-jr
That's true.
joe rogan
That happens.
gary clark-jr
That's true.
joe rogan
It's crazy.
Your whole life's ahead of you.
It's such a mistake.
gary clark-jr
We definitely lost a couple at a young age because of just emotionally being broken.
joe rogan
Yeah, especially if you're already fragile.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
You know, maybe this is the only thing that you ever had in life that gave you happiness was this girlfriend.
gary clark-jr
Man.
Man.
joe rogan
Yeah.
That's a lot of people.
Like, they were depressed, and the only thing that gave them happiness is the love of another person.
And you thought you were going to be with that girl forever.
Forever, right?
This is it.
We're going to have kids.
We're going to be together forever.
Nope.
Six months later, she's tongue-kissing behind the barn.
Some other dude's fingering her, no!
gary clark-jr
No!
unidentified
And she likes it.
She likes it.
joe rogan
She loves it.
She's so excited.
She doesn't think about you at all.
gary clark-jr
Not at all.
joe rogan
God damn it.
gary clark-jr
Not one bit.
joe rogan
Get over it, Mike.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, for sure.
joe rogan
You're alone in your room listening to sad songs.
gary clark-jr
In the fetal position.
Curled up, sad and shit.
joe rogan
But if you can come out on the other end of that, you'll understand.
And then the next time, it's a little easier.
The next time, it's a little easier.
And then you get it.
And then you write a song like that.
Like, if he loves you more, go ahead.
Because there's some ladies that you will run into in this life that you are never going to hold on to.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
And if you can't accept that, I mean, maybe you can 10 years from now.
Maybe they'll change and you'll change and you'll meet up and it'll be better.
But right now, she's on a path.
And that path, you got to let her go.
You know, I love you.
You're great.
But if he loves you more, ta-ta for now.
gary clark-jr
Ta-ta for now.
Enjoy it.
joe rogan
And that's a flex.
That song's a flex.
gary clark-jr
It kind of is.
joe rogan
Yeah, if he loves you more, go ahead.
gary clark-jr
Uh-huh.
Huh.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's a good flex, too.
Because they don't know what to do with that one.
unidentified
They don't.
joe rogan
Oh, my God.
gary clark-jr
They don't.
joe rogan
How did he say that?
unidentified
He said, if he loved me more, I could just go with you.
gary clark-jr
Shook if.
joe rogan
And then that guy's at home.
The new guy's like, that...
I can't believe that's what he said to her.
He has it forever now.
gary clark-jr
And now he feels stuck.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Because eventually this newness that comes from this new relationship with the guy who loves her more, It's gonna fade into like, why are you always leaving your shit laying around?
And how come you're always late?
You know, you said you were gonna call at 5. You didn't call until 6.30.
What happened?
What's this?
What's that?
Let me check your phone.
And then next thing you know, she's thinking about that dude who said, look, if he loves you more, I love you though.
And then she calls him.
What are you doing?
Nothing.
Great to hear your voice.
gary clark-jr
You know where I'm at.
You know what it is?
joe rogan
You know, I still love you.
Yeah.
But, you know, some dudes could have used that advice.
Like, if he could give that advice to a lot, that's a strong move in certain circumstances to preserve your sanity.
You know?
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
Because just because some people are fun doesn't mean you're supposed to be with them forever.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
That part is very important.
joe rogan
Very important.
Just because you have a good time with someone doesn't mean they should be your one and only.
Because that might ruin everything.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
I agree.
joe rogan
And we all know dudes who've got just hitched to the wrong caboose.
And they lost everything.
Their life fell apart.
And a big part of it is the complex interaction between two people.
Some people, the combination of you and them is not good.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
It'll ruin everything.
I agree.
gary clark-jr
I've had those, you know, it's like, this is fun.
It's a lot of fun.
joe rogan
But that's it.
gary clark-jr
This is dangerous.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah.
But the dangerous ones are sometimes the most fun.
Unfortunately.
For a short amount of time.
But you don't want them raising your kids.
gary clark-jr
Not at all.
joe rogan
Mm-mm.
gary clark-jr
Not at all.
joe rogan
No.
unidentified
Mm-mm.
joe rogan
Yeah.
unidentified
If he loves you more, ta-ta for now.
gary clark-jr
Mm.
Out of here.
This thing is falling apart.
joe rogan
Cigar?
This is a real one, man.
This is from Havana.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it is.
joe rogan
You can tell.
gary clark-jr
Mm-mm.
Yeah, a buddy of mine, I went to London.
Actually, my tour manager, Daniel, we were hanging in London.
I had a few days off to just hang.
Started hanging in the cigar lounges.
Yeah, I've been kind of hooked ever since.
joe rogan
It's one of those few places like a barbershop or like a bar where guys can get together and just talk.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Sit around, shoot the shit, smoke a stogie, talk some shit, have some laughs.
It's fun.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, so it's gonna be my...
My new thing, I'm trying to get off these cigarettes too, if I'm being honest.
joe rogan
Yeah?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, man.
I gotta do it.
Gats to do it.
joe rogan
You don't want to die that way.
gary clark-jr
It's just a sad...
I always said I would never smoke.
I saw, speaking of heartbreak blues, man, I was sitting during South by Southwest, pissed off, all these motherfuckers in town, and I saw this girl that I was...
You know, this is in two and she was hand in hand with some other dude walking down the street having a good old time.
And this person I was sitting next to, I was like, give me one of them smokes.
joe rogan
Next thing you know.
gary clark-jr
Next thing I know, here I am.
joe rogan
Yeah, it gives you a wild head rush though.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it is.
The tingly feeling, fingers and toes and stuff.
joe rogan
The excitement of your central nervous system.
The brain gets fired up from a cigarette.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Different than any other form of nicotine.
Like, different than cigars, different than Zins, different than anything.
gary clark-jr
Well, it's not just tobacco.
joe rogan
Yeah.
But even if it is, it's like one of those natural spirits, is that what they're called?
American spirits?
unidentified
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's just tobacco.
But even those.
But if you get like a menthol or something like that, it's like, what the fuck is happening here?
gary clark-jr
But yeah, I gotta quit that shit.
joe rogan
How many are you smoking?
gary clark-jr
I only really do if I'm having a conversation before a show that I don't want to have.
joe rogan
Oh, really?
So it's like an anxiety thing?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, like before TV or before something like that.
joe rogan
That's not too bad.
gary clark-jr
No, it used to be maybe a half a day, a half a pack a day.
Nothing crazy, but I'll use tobacco and roll them up in my herbs.
Yeah, so I'll get my tobacco that way, but...
There was a while where I was doing like a pack a day and sometimes maybe more.
Just, you know, stress.
I think, you know, getting into this entertainment business and eyes on you and, you know, pressure and all that type of shit.
It's just like a nervous thing to just remind myself to just breathe, you know, like take a moment and just like, you know, chill out.
joe rogan
Also, there's something.
Something about the cigarette that just gives you like some weird relief.
It's just like a...
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
The head rush thing that you get out of it is like a weird little escape valve.
unidentified
Sure.
joe rogan
It's like a release valve.
gary clark-jr
Just...
Right.
Yeah.
When I don't have them, though, I don't really miss them.
So that's kind of good.
joe rogan
That's very good.
Yeah, I got into blunts from Charlie, Charlie Murphy, when I was on that tour with him.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Because he would only roll blunts.
And he's like, it's the combination.
Yeah.
Of the nicotine and the weed.
I was like, oh my god, he's right.
gary clark-jr
It is good.
joe rogan
It's a better combination.
gary clark-jr
It's good.
joe rogan
That's a good combination.
Like pre-show combination, there's nothing like a blunt.
gary clark-jr
Mm-hmm.
I'm right there with you.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I'm right there with you.
joe rogan
A blunt and some music.
Let's go.
gary clark-jr
Man, we've been getting hyped up to...
Stro Elliot does it for us every time.
He's a member of the Roots Crew, the legendary Roots Crew, and he puts out these albums.
Man?
joe rogan
Yeah, get in there.
gary clark-jr
He puts out these albums where he mashes up Like old school music and these big fat ass funky beats and sub sounds and stuff.
And that's been the stuff that we listen to backstage.
That's our hype music.
joe rogan
Do you have a hype soundtrack?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, we did for a while.
It goes anywhere from I guess Rolling Stones to Chaka Khan.
joe rogan
Chaka Khan?
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Wow.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, like Stro Elliot to Anderson Paak.
So it's kind of all over the place.
Kind of get everybody who's got their certain types of music in the mood and keep the crowd hype and keep them interested.
Stuff like that.
John D's backstage, he's the guy with John D's on keys.
He's part of the Kill Tony band.
He plays on the road with me.
He's always got the Bluetooth speaker and he's always jamming something.
Unapologetically, it doesn't matter how close we are to anybody.
He's like biggie loud as fuck.
Walking to the stage through the office at the venue.
But yeah.
We have a good time back then.
joe rogan
But there's something about that, like walking with the music.
Walking into a place, bringing the music with you.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Absolutely.
I think that's the Buffalo New York in him, though, too.
Big boombox.
Unapologetic.
You know, Tim's on New York hat.
joe rogan
Nice.
Don't give a shit.
gary clark-jr
But yeah.
What do y'all listen to backstage?
joe rogan
Well, when we do arenas, I always make a point to walk into I'm your boogeyman.
KC and the Sunshine Band, I'm your boogeyman.
That's what I am.
When we're getting ready to do a show, when we walk into the arena, it's always I'm your boogeyman.
gary clark-jr
That's your walk-on song?
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Nice.
joe rogan
And if we're getting a police escort to the venue, it's protect your neck.
It's always protect your neck.
gary clark-jr
That's a flex.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
That's what's up.
Man.
What's that feel like?
I've only had a police escort while opening the Rolling Stones.
unidentified
I was like, damn, this is so tight.
joe rogan
It's bizarre because you're driving through a crowd that's there to see you.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
The first time I ever realized what was going on was I was with Ian Edwards and we were doing a show in Dallas at an arena and this is like one of the first arenas we did and as we're driving I go, what is all this fucking traffic?
This is ridiculous.
We've got to be there in half an hour.
And then I go, oh, they're here for us.
This is our traffic.
unidentified
Wow.
joe rogan
And then we started laughing, like, this is wild.
gary clark-jr
Wow.
joe rogan
This is our traffic.
gary clark-jr
Y'all did that.
joe rogan
Yeah, we pulled up to the venue.
I'm like, this is bananas.
gary clark-jr
It's got to be a cool feeling, though.
joe rogan
It's pretty wild.
So the police escort is to try to get you through that.
gary clark-jr
Of course.
joe rogan
You don't get swarmed.
gary clark-jr
Or miss the show.
joe rogan
Or miss the show.
Yeah.
But there's just so many people.
It's just something about doing shows with that many people.
It's a totally different experience.
It's so alive.
It's so electric.
You know?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Yeah.
joe rogan
The music, like having a green room playlist, I learned from Dave.
Dave used to come to the comedy store and he had two boomboxes.
And he'd have them synced.
And he'd put one on one end of the bar, one on the other end of the bar.
He had ones that had LED lights that glow and flash and shit.
Dave brought the party.
And he was like, this is my socializing.
So I always just have music with me everywhere.
I'm like, that's the way to do it.
Because we would just hang out in the green room and just talk.
But talking with music going on is way better.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Way better.
Yeah, that's right.
When I saw Dave at the Moody Center recently, he had the glow lights going on the Bluetooth speaker.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
The whole vibe's going on.
joe rogan
Yeah, he puts red light bulbs in his green room.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
You go in his green room, it's not like bright white light, like flooding light.
It's like the soft, cool, like speakeasy vibe.
gary clark-jr
I respect that, man.
It sets up the vibe.
It brings the club energy to like a fucking arena.
joe rogan
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
He gets it.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Yeah, he set it up right.
It's the way to do it.
It's the way to do it.
And if you're touring a lot, I saw that with Tommy Lee once, too.
I went backstage with Tommy Lee.
I got a story.
My friend John Rollo was Tommy Lee's security guard.
John Rollo's a big, giant dude.
And he goes, hey, man, can you meet Tommy?
Tommy wants to talk to you about something.
I'm like, okay.
So I go to the show, catch the show, meet Tommy, and Tommy wants to fight Kid Rock.
Tom was like, I want someone to train me to fight Kid Rock.
I was like, what?
What are you talking about?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Because they were both squabbling over Pamela Anderson.
gary clark-jr
Oh, right.
joe rogan
So he wanted to fight Kid Rock.
So he was seriously coming to me to ask me how he could get a fight set up with Kid Rock.
And he wanted to get trainers and all these different things involved.
gary clark-jr
What happened?
unidentified
I wanted to tell him I think Kid Rock will fuck you up.
joe rogan
Kid Rock is one of those wild Detroit white boys.
You don't want to fuck with Kid Rock.
gary clark-jr
I absolutely would have to agree.
joe rogan
You don't want none of that?
gary clark-jr
Nah.
joe rogan
No.
Listen to me, Tommy.
That's a mean dude.
That's the dude that shot up Bud Light and cost him 26 billion dollars.
gary clark-jr
He shot the shit out of that beer, didn't he?
He went crazy.
joe rogan
He cost them so much money.
They would have never lost that amount of money if Kid Rock didn't shoot that beer.
Man.
Just watching those bullets.
Every time those bullets hit that beer, that was like a billion dollars.
gary clark-jr
I don't know how many times I've watched that on repeat.
That was good.
joe rogan
Yeah, but that's what I'm saying.
You don't want none of that, Tommy.
unidentified
Nah.
joe rogan
Stay away from that, dude.
gary clark-jr
Just sit down.
joe rogan
Just, if he loves you more than me, ta-ta for now.
gary clark-jr
Just Arthur Alexander, that shit.
Big dog.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Learn how to just let it go.
Again, same thing.
Some gals, you never really have them.
You just gotta accept it.
Enjoy your time.
Enjoy your time with them.
unidentified
Exactly.
joe rogan
But don't go having a cage fight with Kate Brock in front of the world.
gary clark-jr
That's...
What's up with everybody wanting to fight in public?
joe rogan
What is up with that?
It does seem silly.
gary clark-jr
Right?
joe rogan
Well, I think some people are just like, they don't have any money.
And someone comes along and says, hey, you want to do a celebrity boxing match?
And you're like, all right.
You know, they're gonna pay you a million dollars.
Now you got money.
So you're just like, I'll just do anything because you don't have nothing going on.
So there's people like that.
Remember, didn't Aaron Carter fight Lamar Odom?
gary clark-jr
Oh, I believe so.
joe rogan
Lamar Odom's like 10 feet tall.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Aaron Carter looks like he had never worked out a day in his life, and he's been living on a steady diet of pills.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
He's not with us anymore, right?
gary clark-jr
No.
joe rogan
RIP. Yeah, that's a thing.
If you get famous when you're young, good luck.
Good luck.
Good luck.
There's like three people that have ever gone through being famous when they're young and not been crazy.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I don't understand that.
I don't understand that.
It's just, it's fucking sad, man.
It's...
joe rogan
It's robbed childhood for other people's entertainment.
gary clark-jr
It seems like when you're a kid watching other kids on TV, it seems like a good time.
joe rogan
Right.
gary clark-jr
You know?
It seems like, oh yeah, I want to do that.
That'd be amazing.
Mm-hmm.
And so it's been kind of strange to watch these young folks kind of go through it.
joe rogan
Well, the ultimate is Michael Jackson.
That's the ultimate.
That's the ultimate.
That is the greatest, worst story ever told.
When you see young Michael Jackson, when he was with the Jackson Five...
When he did like ABC and they were doing that stuff on TV and he's dancing and singing, he's the lead and he's the little kid.
That right there.
gary clark-jr
Killing the best.
joe rogan
Oh my god.
gary clark-jr
This clip in particular is the one that got me into wanting to be a musician.
joe rogan
In the Ed Sullivan show.
And how old is he then?
gary clark-jr
10?
joe rogan
Maybe.
gary clark-jr
11?
unidentified
69. Jeez.
1969. Oh my god.
joe rogan
Oh my god.
He was so good and he was so little and then he became so crazy.
Because he just never had a real life.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it's sad to see.
joe rogan
It's crazy, but it's just that old expression.
The star that shines twice as bright lasts half as long.
You know?
I mean, it's just like...
And in that circumstance, to have that much talent and that much success and that much love, when you're a baby, he's a little baby there.
gary clark-jr
He's 11. He just turned 11. I couldn't imagine.
joe rogan
He's a little tiny little fella.
He's up there just bolting out beautiful songs.
And then the rest of his life is just chaos.
gary clark-jr
I didn't realize that.
I think...
As a kid, I was such a huge Michael Jackson fan, probably like Crazy Kiss fans, that I didn't realize everything that was happening.
joe rogan
Nobody knew.
gary clark-jr
You know?
joe rogan
Nobody knew back then.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
I mean, back then, there was no internet, right?
And so, like, if it wasn't...
Barbara Walters didn't talk to him about, like, why do you have so many kids over your house?
Like, there would be no conversation.
No one would know.
gary clark-jr
Right.
unidentified
Yeah, it's just a...
gary clark-jr
What do you think that is?
Is there a sense of powerlessness, not having control?
joe rogan
There's a bunch of factors.
You never face real adversity like a normal person does.
You're never not loved.
I think you learn how to get people to like you by realizing, if I'm a nicer person, it feels better for me, it feels better for them, it's good for everybody.
And then one time I wasn't nice, and then I felt bad, and I went home, I gotta think this through, and now people don't like me, shit, I'm sorry.
And then you get better, and it's like a process of learning how to interact with human beings that's completely subverted by fame.
You don't ever have to prove yourself.
Not only do you not have to prove yourself, you're loved above and beyond a regular person.
So you're treated like you're a god, like royalty, as a child.
And everyone around you is kissing your ass, and everyone around you is giving you advice, and everyone around you is trying to take your money, you know?
And then you've got women, and you've got networks, and you've got, you know, that guy, the colonel that was with Elvis, you know?
Those kind of characters that are running your life behind the scenes.
Oh, Elvis is another case.
Too much fame.
Nobody had navigated those waters before.
It's too much.
gary clark-jr
I remember being young and people trying to approach me for deals and stuff.
I was always weird, those folks, just because of the stories that I heard.
My mom was my manager for the longest time, helping me with printing up CDs.
You know, doing a real groundwork family, my little sisters, boxing CDs.
joe rogan
Oh, wow.
gary clark-jr
And helping fold t-shirts and do all that.
It was a real family thing.
And folks started to come around and say, hey, you know, we could help you with this.
We could help you with this.
And I was just always like, no, no, no, no.
I've heard so many stories of that.
So I was really scared of...
The business, you know, and wanting to even pursue it or the idea of fame or any of that.
I was just like, nah, I don't want to deal with that.
Whatever comes with that, I don't think is really me.
So I'm kind of fortunate that I didn't really move around in that kind of scene until I was 27, 28. How old were you in, like, Num?
joe rogan
How old was that?
gary clark-jr
I was mid-20s, 25, 26, 27. That ought to be when things started getting weird, right?
Yeah.
joe rogan
Like Bright Lights, Big City?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
All that.
But I was a grown person, so I'd had experiences where, you know.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
But, yeah.
So, yeah, I think if had that happened to me any earlier, it would have been a little bit different.
joe rogan
Oh, yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
But, yeah, it was strange, you know.
Just how life can kind of flip.
People's perception and perspective of you kind of flips.
The whole world changes.
People you know kind of look at you different.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Whoa.
joe rogan
That's weird.
That's when it gets weird.
People have known you for years and now they get nervous around you.
Like, why are you nervous around me?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right?
It's like, hey, yo, dog, chill.
What's up?
joe rogan
Yeah, I'm the same dude.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Remember, you crashed in my house six months ago.
joe rogan
Well, don't you think that's why a lot of famous people hang around with other famous people?
Because they're like, these are the only people that are going to understand what it's like to be weird.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I was talking to Tony the other day, and he was like, man, you need to get out more.
I was like, I know.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
He's like, you need to be with the folks who get it.
I'm like, yeah, I know.
I've just been a hermit in this studio trying to get it right.
joe rogan
Dude, come down to the mothership any night you want.
gary clark-jr
Come hang out.
I'm definitely going to.
joe rogan
It's a great hang.
gary clark-jr
I know.
joe rogan
That green room cleans the soul.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I missed you a couple times I've been there.
Yeah, it's definitely a vibe.
I... Yeah, I have a good time every time I'm down there.
But yeah, it's true.
You got to be able to hang around like-minded folks who, you know, kind of the weirdos.
There's a different perspective.
joe rogan
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, you got to be around other weirdos.
And it also is like you feel like you're okay.
Like, oh, I'm not that fucked up.
I'm just like these people.
This is a different kind of person.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Like, they get it.
Right.
All my friends know me.
They get it.
We're all just different kinds of weirdos.
unidentified
Absolutely.
joe rogan
But it's a special kind of weirdo.
A weirdo who makes stuff.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
Yeah.
A weirdo is always creating things.
And then people go to see those things.
And they listen to those things.
They hear those things.
They watch those things.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
It's a different life.
gary clark-jr
Completely.
joe rogan
You can't hang out with accountants.
They're not going to get it.
gary clark-jr
It's funny, like, going to kids' birthday parties.
joe rogan
Yes!
gary clark-jr
It's like, um...
joe rogan
Yes.
gary clark-jr
I don't know what I can say here.
I know.
joe rogan
I never know what parents are going to ask me about.
You know?
Because, like, too many parents listen to the podcast.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
It's real weird.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
They want to talk to me about guests and conspiracies and shit.
And some parents are like, I took ivermectin, too.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
gary clark-jr
Blowing out birthday candles.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
There's a lot of dads who want to talk about UFC, which is easy.
unidentified
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
That's easy.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
That's cool.
Hey, man, that was really cool when everything was shut down to go to the UFC with you guys.
joe rogan
That was fun.
gary clark-jr
And hang out.
I realized how intense that was without the crowd.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's wild, right?
gary clark-jr
In the building.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Like, hearing somebody get kicked in the face in a quiet room, that shit hits different.
joe rogan
It hits different.
It's my favorite way to see it to this day.
I like to see fights at the apex, the apex in Vegas, like where we went.
It's just like, there's no crowd, man.
It's incredible.
gary clark-jr
It was cool.
joe rogan
And then when we went down there, everything was totally shut down.
So they were like world-class fights.
Like right now they do at the Apex.
Still have world-class fights.
But a lot of times it's like guys on the come up.
Guys who are making their way through the rankings.
And they'll have like contender fights and good fights.
But there was like world championship fights in that arena.
Like Francis Ngannou beat Stipe Miocic in that arena.
gary clark-jr
I was there for that.
joe rogan
Yeah.
That was crazy.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
When you see Francis Hammerfist, an unconscious man, after he knocks him out cold and then fucking drops a bomb on him and just walking around the cage, like, woo!
And there's no one there but us.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
There's like 20 people in there.
gary clark-jr
That's incredible.
joe rogan
It was amazing.
gary clark-jr
Hearing the coaches talking back and forth, language, all that kind of stuff.
Yeah.
joe rogan
What a weird time, too, right?
Even when you went to restaurants.
Like, wow, we're in a restaurant.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
We're sitting down inside.
This is crazy.
gary clark-jr
Walking through with a mask on and shit.
joe rogan
We still had to walk in with masks on, and they'd take it off when you sat down.
It was so stupid.
As long as you sit down, you can take your mask off.
Oh, but when you go to the bathroom, you got to put your mask back on.
Oh, okay.
Okay, whatever.
I'm just happy to be out.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, hell yeah, me too.
joe rogan
Yeah, the COVID bubble days were strange.
But yeah, I'm so happy that UFC did that.
They kept the sport alive.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Are y'all doing the Sphere out there?
joe rogan
Yeah.
They're doing an event at the Sphere for Mexican Independence Day.
gary clark-jr
Amazing.
Have you been out there for that?
joe rogan
I have not.
I've seen it.
I've drove by it.
It's incredible.
I mean, they have it look like the earth.
They have it look like space.
They put designs on it.
The whole outside is a giant screen.
It's an incredible building.
gary clark-jr
That's wild.
joe rogan
And they're gonna make a show that uses the sphere.
Dana said he's only gonna do it once.
He's gonna do one show there because it's too crazy, but he wants to do a show there just because it scares the shit out of him because it's so challenging.
gary clark-jr
Well, of course.
That's kind of...
He just...
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
He's not...
He has to...
joe rogan
But you imagine watching highlights on the ceiling?
gary clark-jr
That'd be crazy.
joe rogan
The ceiling is filled with a giant screen that shows you replays.
That would be incredible.
gary clark-jr
I can't even imagine, because it's blowing my mind when I see video of the band U2 in there.
It looks crazy on your little phone screen.
I couldn't imagine what that was like.
joe rogan
Bert went.
Bert Kreischer went and saw U2 there, and he said it was insane.
He said it was insane.
It's the greatest show I've ever seen in my life.
I thought I was crying.
Because it's accentuated by the building itself.
It's the only time where a building makes the experience way better, way crazier.
gary clark-jr
Who came up with that idea?
That's a good question.
joe rogan
Super rich dudes.
Because it costs an insane amount of money.
How much does a sphere cost to run?
It's something bananas.
gary clark-jr
Like just for one night?
joe rogan
Yeah, just for one night.
Like every year, it's fucking hundreds of millions of dollars just to run it.
gary clark-jr
I wonder what else is going to be in there.
joe rogan
Just music, I guess.
I guess you could have the rodeo.
You could have whatever you want in there.
gary clark-jr
A rodeo would be fucking nuts.
joe rogan
That would be wild.
That would be wild.
The rodeo with all the highlights on the screens.
But to be able to watch fights like that, have the highlights on the ceiling, it's probably the best way to do it.
If they could keep doing it that way, I mean, if it works, and then they decide, you know what?
Fuck it, we're gonna keep doing shows here.
I wanna go to one.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I wanna go to two, just to see.
joe rogan
Yeah, the one that's on Mexican, when is that one, Jamie?
jamie vernon
September, I think, right now.
joe rogan
Yeah.
That's gonna be nuts.
That is gonna be a nutty experience.
I think that's September 16, right?
Am I correct?
jamie vernon
Sounds right.
unidentified
Okay.
gary clark-jr
Hey, September 16th.
You hear that?
Touring squad?
Let's end up.
joe rogan
Let's end up in Vegas that night.
unidentified
End up in Vegas.
gary clark-jr
The night off.
joe rogan
Yeah.
How long are you touring now?
Are you from here when the album's out?
Are you going to just go?
gary clark-jr
So we're doing a U.S. leg.
Just kind of kick things off in May.
And then we're going to do Europe August, September, I think.
I try not to look.
But I'm sure dates will fill up in between.
Once it starts going, it starts going.
But, yeah, just for now, we're going to be doing the States in May.
We're doing some stuff with Eric Clapton down in South America.
joe rogan
Oh, wow.
gary clark-jr
That's always cool.
Yeah, that's...
I mean...
That's a lot of people coming out.
60,000, 70,000 folks.
joe rogan
Wow.
gary clark-jr
So we're going to get to jump in front of that and make some noise for a little bit.
joe rogan
Bro, they came after Eric Clapton hard during the pandemic.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
They came after him.
Because he said that he got injured by the vaccine.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
And they came after him hard.
How dare you?
How dare you, you piece of shit?
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
They tried to find every terrible thing he's ever said his entire life.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
Taking it out of context.
unidentified
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
Stick it in front of everybody.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
Folks came after me.
It's like, what do you think about Clapton doing that?
joe rogan
Well, the crazy thing was he got injured by the vaccine.
And they were mad that he was...
And it was like a coordinated effort to attack him because he was going to cause vaccine hesitancy by telling the truth.
unidentified
Right.
joe rogan
Now we all know it's the truth.
So now no one's mad at him anymore for that.
But it was like during that time they were trying to destroy Eric Clapton.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, if you brought anything, you said anything, you were kind of out of there.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
At that time.
joe rogan
Yeah, that must have been wild for Eric because his whole life he was beloved.
I mean, he was an icon.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I mean, he still is.
joe rogan
Yeah, he still is.
But to have that experience happen, like, all of a sudden he's attacked in, like, the L.A. Times.
You know, and all these different newspapers were just coming for him.
I was like, this is crazy to see.
He's telling you he got injured by experimental medication that the whole world is being forced to take.
You don't think you should listen to him?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah.
Looking back, it seems absolutely absurd that somebody's telling you the truth about this thing that's affecting the whole world.
And they go, nope.
Nope, nope, nope.
joe rogan
No, he's a piece of shit and an anti-vaxxer.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, and look at this.
And you did this.
And you did this.
Let's pull this up.
joe rogan
What'd you say in 76?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, man.
Wild time.
joe rogan
Wild times.
gary clark-jr
Fuck.
joe rogan
But we got through it.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, we did.
joe rogan
I don't think it'll ever happen again.
gary clark-jr
You don't think so?
joe rogan
I think people would be too wise to it now.
Yeah, there's too many people that push back now that let it happen back then because they believed it.
They thought two weeks to stop the spread, that'd be good.
They thought all those things were going to be good.
They believed the World Health Organization.
They believed the CDC. They believed everybody.
They believed in masks.
They believed in social distancing.
They believed in all that shit.
We turned out to be bullshit.
And now people know it's bullshit.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
I remember going to Australia twice.
We had to quarantine twice.
joe rogan
Australia was nuts.
gary clark-jr
Police escorts.
I was going there to do a film.
I went there to do Elvis.
And I was like, police escort to the hotel.
Military escort up to the hotel room, and you're just there.
They give you, like, milk, sandwiches, some juice, some fruits, like, every day or whatever.
joe rogan
Can't go nowhere.
gary clark-jr
No, you couldn't go anywhere.
And if you were to step out to, like, to put your trash outside, like, a military guard or police officer would be there, like, with the weapon, like, turned the corner and, like, just checking on you.
I was like, yo, what the fuck, man?
joe rogan
How crazy is that?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, for two weeks you had to be there.
joe rogan
How crazy is that?
And you weren't even sick?
gary clark-jr
Wasn't sick.
joe rogan
Which is crazy.
gary clark-jr
Nothing.
And just 40 floors up in some crazy hotel.
He can't go anywhere for two weeks.
joe rogan
The military making sure you don't leave your room.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
That's what happens when there's no guns.
When people don't have guns?
gary clark-jr
That's right.
joe rogan
The only people that have the guns is the army and the police, and everybody else is unarmed, and then the people with the guns start pushing people around, arresting people for not wearing a mask outside, throwing old ladies to the ground and handcuffing them.
gary clark-jr
Nah, that shit is not happening in Texas.
Gary damn T that.
You said what, motherfucker?
joe rogan
Shut the fuck up.
But even in California, there was lines around the block at the gun store.
It got sketchy.
It got real sketchy.
That was the eye-opener.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
For so many people seeing lines at the gun store for the first time, like, yo, this is getting real.
unidentified
Mm-hmm.
joe rogan
This is getting real.
gary clark-jr
I heard about that.
joe rogan
Yeah, it was weird to see it in LA. I drive by Burbank and it's a gun shop that I know.
It's a fucking giant ass line around the block.
People trying to buy a gun.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, well, I don't got them problems down here.
joe rogan
No, there's no problems down here.
gary clark-jr
Nope.
There it is.
ID. Yep.
joe rogan
Here you go.
gary clark-jr
Use your receipt.
joe rogan
Exactly.
Good luck, sir.
What even crazier is that I could just give you a gun.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
If I have a gun, I'm like, Gary, take this gun.
And that's your gun now.
You don't have to do any paperwork?
No, nothing.
No, you have my gun.
gary clark-jr
That's why I kind of really fuck with Texas, though.
joe rogan
I love Texas.
Once you feel that freedom, and it's not just the gun thing, it's kind of everything.
Once you feel that freedom, except abortions.
Once you feel that freedom, you're just like, whoa, this is how you're supposed to be.
And then you go to California, and you have flavored vapes.
I'm like, what are you doing?
What are you doing?
gary clark-jr
I don't understand why that is.
joe rogan
They think it's gonna stop kids from sucking on vapes if they're not flavored.
gary clark-jr
So adults can't have them?
joe rogan
Adults can't have them.
You can't get flavored Zins in California.
I went to a gas station to buy some Zins.
I'm like, what flavors you got?
They go, we don't have any flavors.
I go, what?
Yeah, California doesn't allow you to have flavors.
gary clark-jr
Because it attracts kids.
You think the kids are going to puff on the original version anyway?
joe rogan
Yeah, what are you talking about?
They're still smoking cigarettes.
Like, that's so stupid.
gary clark-jr
Wow.
joe rogan
That doesn't do anything.
gary clark-jr
I don't get that.
That don't make no damn sense to me.
joe rogan
It's communist.
It's the government deciding what you can and can't do and doing it for your own good, and that's the slippery slope of communism.
They'll do that with that.
Next thing they'll do it with your car.
Next thing they'll do it with your consumption, your carbon consumption.
They'll try to get you to be on a carbon consumption tax.
They'll try to get you to be on some sort of an app that shows how much carbon you're using.
Anything they can do to try to control you.
And they'll do it under the guise of making it safer for others.
Just like they did during the pandemic.
See how quickly they shifted from vaccines to climate change.
It was a beautiful passing of the ball.
It was like, run with climate change.
Run with CO2 production.
Stop eating meat.
Drive an electric car.
Run with that.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
That's true.
gary clark-jr
One thing after another.
joe rogan
It's just control.
The number one thing about it is control, and then without a doubt, there's a bunch of people making money.
There's a bunch of industries that are designed that function around this idea that you have to do certain things, and they're going to profit immensely from you complying.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I mean, you could kind of see that in the way that the city changed around here.
They shut down certain spots, mom and pop shots.
Spots kind of went and it's like, alright, get you up out of here and make you comply a little bit.
joe rogan
Now you're gone.
Now Target makes more money.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Here we go.
joe rogan
Well, they crushed L.A. L.A. is not...
It is a shadow of itself.
I always say that L.A. is like a girl you used to date and she was really cute.
And then you go see her now and she's on meth and she works for the cartel.
unidentified
Damn.
joe rogan
What happened?
gary clark-jr
Damn.
unidentified
That's L.A. You know?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I haven't spent too much time out there.
I mean, I only go out there when I absolutely have to.
joe rogan
It's sad.
gary clark-jr
I need to.
I was just in New York.
New York looked kind of Euro now.
It's got all the cannabis shops up everywhere.
It's kind of comical.
joe rogan
It is.
gary clark-jr
A little bit.
joe rogan
It was so illegal in New York for so long.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, you had to get it like super low-key.
joe rogan
Yeah, man.
You could get busted.
There was undercover cops selling people weed in New York.
Yeah, New York was weird with weed.
unidentified
Weird for the longest time.
gary clark-jr
It's not a problem at all anymore.
joe rogan
No.
gary clark-jr
It was really strange to be there.
It's kind of like Amsterdam looking.
joe rogan
I'm kind of surprised that hasn't hit Texas yet.
I'm surprised they haven't let legal weed here yet.
It seems so stupid to stop people from doing something you know they're already doing and it's not hurting anybody.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, that's my only beef with Texas at the moment as far as that goes.
joe rogan
Well, it's decriminalized, air quotes here.
gary clark-jr
So?
joe rogan
What does that mean?
gary clark-jr
Nothing.
Just let me pull up to a store.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Get a receipt.
Enjoy my day.
joe rogan
Yeah.
I'll pay taxes.
How about that?
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
You're missing out on billions of dollars in tax revenue.
You dummies.
gary clark-jr
Sure.
joe rogan
Because in Colorado, they were smart.
They said, we'll tax it like 39% or something crazy.
And everybody's like, okay.
gary clark-jr
No problem.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Go ahead.
Do that.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Because it's so cheap in comparison to alcohol anyway.
gary clark-jr
It's a beautifully run business in Colorado.
They figured it out.
It's like going and buying a pair of shoes.
joe rogan
But for the longest time in Colorado, they had to employ mercenaries.
They had to employ, like, fucking Blackwater-type people to guard the cash because the banks wouldn't fuck with them.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah, that's right.
joe rogan
So they weren't allowed to use credit cards.
So at any point in time, they had hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in cash around.
gary clark-jr
That's right.
joe rogan
And so they had to, like, get a guy to take that cash to the bank So they're basically like a scene from Heat.
gary clark-jr
That's right.
I remember going out to Venice Beach at a certain point.
It was a little funky out there.
joe rogan
Well, I used to go to this place called the Englewood Wellness Center in the 90s.
And that was when there was medical weed in California.
And all you have to do is go to a doctor and go, I got a headache.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Here you go.
joe rogan
Oh, you definitely need this medicine.
They were trying to hand out those things.
It wasn't hard to get a medical license.
gary clark-jr
Not at all.
joe rogan
And one of the only dispensaries, medical dispensary, was in Inglewood.
So we'd go down the hood to buy weed, and then the dude that sold me the weed got shot.
He got shot there like a week after I was there, two weeks after I was there.
I'm like, oh no.
They robbed him and shot him, because you had to pay in cash, and they had cash laying around, and everybody was scoping it, and they were watching, and they knew what was going on, and he would have given them the money, too.
gary clark-jr
That's right.
joe rogan
They just fucking shot him.
gary clark-jr
That's right.
That's a wild time.
joe rogan
I was like, okay, time to go back to weed dealers.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, homie.
Hey, man.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Like we used to.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Yeah.
The weed dealer thing is funny because then you get those sketchy people in your life again.
Those dudes that are willing to sell weed.
Those are always people that are just a little unbalanced.
gary clark-jr
I feel fortunate that folks that used to hook me up were all these cute girls.
joe rogan
That's amazing.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
How'd you get that?
gary clark-jr
Just being me, bro.
joe rogan
Well, that's a way better situation.
I used to deal with a dude named Jake the Snake.
gary clark-jr
Well, there you go.
joe rogan
Jake the Snake was my friend Eddie's buddy in LA. That's how we'd get our weed.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
But he was always a weird dude.
gary clark-jr
Nah, it was always cool.
unidentified
It was like cool hippie chicks.
joe rogan
That's perfect.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's perfect.
Cool, sit there, you know, show you with the guy.
You can try a couple different kinds.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Get on their bike or whatever the fuck and get out of there.
unidentified
Bye!
gary clark-jr
Sundress flowing in the wind.
joe rogan
Yep.
Yeah.
Fucking sunflowers all over their outfit.
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, so I didn't really deal with...
Too many shady characters.
But the shadiest characters that I knew were the motherfuckers that I actually really knew, that I grew up with.
And I was like, ah.
Yeah.
I was warned about you.
joe rogan
Yeah, well, you have some dudes that are shady when they're like 14. Just a little shady.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
And then by the time they're like 22, they're full shady.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
But you're still hanging with them.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I've seen a couple of them.
There's a magazine around here.
I don't know if it's still here.
It's called Mugshots.
Yeah.
And you can see, like, whoever got arrested that day or that week.
I've seen a couple of folks I grew up with on the cover, and I was like, yep.
joe rogan
Saw that coming.
gary clark-jr
Yep, that pans out.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
But hopefully Texas will come around, and, you know, you can just kind of do what you want to do with that.
joe rogan
Yeah.
unidentified
I feel like...
joe rogan
If Republicans just embrace that, it would be a lot better for everybody.
Just the people that don't want it, they're just ignorant.
They just don't understand.
It's stupid.
It's a stupid thing to stop.
gary clark-jr
That's not being stopped.
joe rogan
Yeah, it's not being stopped.
Also, you should probably fund some studies to find out why some people go crazy.
Let's find out what's going on because everybody knows one dude who smoked too much weed who went schizophrenic.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
How many do you know?
gary clark-jr
I know one in particular who's a great, great friend of mine.
Yeah, I kind of feel semi-responsible because I was kind of...
He was this dude I've known since I was in first grade.
We played basketball together.
We did all this stuff together.
Started rapping together.
Started playing music, making beats together.
And I think one puff too many and listening to that Slim Shady Marshall Mathers album.
Got him, bro.
joe rogan
Yeah?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
I know two dudes.
One dude seems to have bounced back, but one dude's gone.
He's gone.
Well, I actually know three dudes.
I know one dude who bounced back, too.
But the dude who I know will bounce back, he doesn't fuck around at all anymore.
But at one point in time, he thought the government was listening to everything he said.
He thought, like, helicopters were flying over his house.
He thought people were listening in the walls.
He was going nuts.
gary clark-jr
And that's marijuana and dudes?
joe rogan
Yeah.
Yeah.
For him, it was.
And I knew him before that.
I knew he was fine, but he was just...
Waking, baking every day.
It was every day.
He was just getting obliterated.
He was getting obliterated all day long.
And I think he just fried normal life out of his brain.
gary clark-jr
I've gotten stoned to the point of a panic attack, but I've always come back.
joe rogan
But when you come back, you feel better.
gary clark-jr
I feel a lot better.
unidentified
Yeah, you feel better.
joe rogan
Everything's going to be okay.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
Some people don't come back.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Yeah, there's been books written on it.
Alex Berenson wrote a book about it.
gary clark-jr
That's why I've never taken acid.
My dad told me a long time ago, an uncle of his, maybe took some good acid and never came back from it.
So I've always been spooked.
I mean, I have no problem with psilocybin.
joe rogan
Yeah, psilocybin is more manageable, I think.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
Also, acid is being made in a bathtub by some Grateful Dead fan.
So I'm like, who's making that?
Where are you?
How did this get to me?
gary clark-jr
He looks just like Jerry Garcia.
He's going for it.
joe rogan
Just circular glasses on, tinted lenses.
Just selling you the good stuff.
I mean, there's only a handful of people supposedly in the country that know how to make acid.
gary clark-jr
How many people are trying though?
joe rogan
Yeah, right?
gary clark-jr
That's the scary part for me.
It's like, oh, my buddy Billy just got him a little thing in the garage.
Let's try it out.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Well, Ari was telling us about they had these tests that they would do.
These dudes were heavy partiers, and they had brought tests with them so they could test all the different drugs.
gary clark-jr
Like when you say heavy partied, like experimental?
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Trying to go.
joe rogan
They were going out there.
So they were taking molly and all kinds of shit.
And so they did a test on the acid they had, and none of it was acid.
All of it was mescaline.
gary clark-jr
Really?
joe rogan
Yeah.
They were getting these tabs, and they thought these tabs were acid.
And they tested, and there was zero acid in it.
It was just mescaline.
gary clark-jr
So, how do you get away with that?
joe rogan
You get away with it because people don't have tests.
So you're just selling this stuff.
Mescaline will make you trip.
You think you're on acid.
gary clark-jr
Is it the same type of deal?
joe rogan
I haven't done it, but it's peyote.
Right.
gary clark-jr
I'm scared of that, too.
joe rogan
I had a friend of mine that swears to God that he saw a dude in a window in Manhattan when he was on Masculine, and the dude was like, you know, 400 yards away, and he could listen to every word that guy was saying.
So he could hear every word he was saying.
unidentified
Huh.
joe rogan
When he was on Masculine.
gary clark-jr
Like through glass and walls?
unidentified
He just heard him.
joe rogan
He was looking at the dude so he could see him.
He was watching him and he could hear him talk.
He swears it.
You know, he's a financial guy.
gary clark-jr
Okay.
joe rogan
Yeah, he's not like a crazy hippie.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
He's a guy, when he was in college, he took mescaline in New York City, and he was looking out the window, and there was a guy way far away, he was looking at him through the window, his window and that guy's window, sounds of the city, fuck you, through all that, watching that guy, you could hear him talk.
gary clark-jr
Is it some cross-dimensional type shit?
joe rogan
Who knows?
Probably.
Probably.
There's probably a frequency that you could tune into that we're all tuned into all the time.
Sort of like when you know someone's talking about you and then the phone rings.
It's them.
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
You know they're thinking about you.
People dismiss that.
Oh, that's just chance.
That's just luck.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Or maybe when you're just thinking about someone for no reason and then they call you, maybe there's some connection there.
Maybe there's something going on.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I agree with that.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
I have moments like that where I feel like it's just, that's the universe, just universe and just trying to get you back to where you need to be.
joe rogan
Yeah.
I think there's something to that.
I think there's something to fate.
There's some strange element of it that seems to be true.
Like, I think that, uh...
Free will is probably real.
There's some, there's probably issues with, there's choices you make that determine how your life goes for sure, but there also seems to be some strange element of fate.
Every now and then things come along and go, oh my god, this is what I have to do.
This is what I have to do.
This is what I'm supposed to do.
unidentified
Absolutely.
joe rogan
You might resist it.
You're like, God, I don't want to do this.
But parties like this is what you're supposed to do.
gary clark-jr
You can't shake it.
joe rogan
Yeah, you can't shake it.
It's not like the universe hits you with this frequency, this signal that lets you know this is the path you're supposed to take.
Some people are way better at following that.
Some people are really good at following that feeling.
gary clark-jr
How do you think you resonate on the scale of being good with that or not?
joe rogan
I'm pretty fucking good with that.
I'm pretty confident with that.
I know.
I'm pretty good.
I'm pretty good with recognizing shady people.
I'm pretty good.
Pretty good.
Not 100%, but I'm 95%.
gary clark-jr
I got you.
joe rogan
I'm pretty fucking good.
I'm pretty good knowing which path to go, when to take a chance, when to just go.
You know, like when I moved out here, I moved out here in the middle of the Spotify deal.
And they were like, what the fuck are you doing?
And I was like, I'm telling you, this is the place to go.
I'm just going to do this.
This is the thing to do.
gary clark-jr
Did you already see what's happening now happening?
joe rogan
No.
No, no idea.
No idea.
Not a chance I would even have imagined.
That Austin would become like the comedy scene that it is now.
I never thought that.
I just wanted to exist in a place where people weren't fucking with me.
And then when I got out here and I realized people weren't fucking with me, and then Dave and I were doing those shows at Stubbs, that reignited my desire to do comedy again.
Then we started doing live shows at the Vulcan.
And then Ron White got fired up about it.
And I was like, okay, we got people out here now.
And then other comics were moving here because you couldn't do any shows in LA. And they'd see us doing shows out here.
And they were like, hey man, fuck this.
I'm just going to go.
And a bunch of them came.
And we didn't even have a club then.
So then I felt like, okay, I talk these dudes into coming here.
Now I have to just build it.
And then we just did it.
But it was just all following instincts.
It was like, this is the path.
This is what you're supposed to do.
gary clark-jr
How long did you think over this move?
joe rogan
Not very long.
No, my instincts were to get out.
When I saw those cop cars on fire on the 10, I was like, okay, I see where this is going.
I got here just after the riots.
Just after the riots.
Or LA, rather.
I got there in 94, just after the riots, the Rodney King riots.
And it was weird.
The city had just recovered.
So I remembered.
And then I watched all those videos of the chaos that happened when the police lose control of the city.
And it just becomes madness.
And I was like, oh, you gotta get the fuck out of here.
But back then there was no defund the police talk in LA. It was all defund the police, defund the police.
gary clark-jr
I was like yeah you know I'm over here I was like, nah, we gotta...
unidentified
What the fuck are you talking about?
gary clark-jr
I need to call the motherfucking cops.
What are we talking about?
You cannot...
That to me was like, alright, we've lost sight of...
Can't everybody just do whatever they want, whenever they want all the time, have it be their way all the time?
There's gotta be some order here.
joe rogan
There has to be an order.
gary clark-jr
There has to be a line that it's important, please, please, because this is all I know.
If that goes away, then what the fuck?
joe rogan
You got chaos.
gary clark-jr
And I don't want that.
joe rogan
No.
gary clark-jr
I don't think anybody wants that.
Just before you...
That's a crazy statement.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Well, the wildest thing is having those people now, later, call for more police.
Like, since some of them got...
Like, there's this one politician.
And she was like, let me be clear.
My goal is dismantle and defund the police.
And everybody's like, yay!
And then recently she got...
Carjacked and pistol whipped.
And so she's got blood pouring out of her head and she's like saying, we have to fire these people and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
With what?
With no police because you defunded the police?
Like what?
Who's gonna go get them?
Are you gonna go get them?
That guy that pistol whipped you?
You gonna go find him and take his gun away?
gary clark-jr
Right.
joe rogan
And say you are gonna go in a cage now to make the world safer.
No, police do that, stupid.
gary clark-jr
Right?
unidentified
That's that part of the police.
gary clark-jr
The important part.
unidentified
Yeah, the part that keeps you safe, you fucking idiot.
joe rogan
This idealistic perspective that so many people have.
Just such virtue signaling bullshit.
You just don't even know what you're saying.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Man, I had to get out of there, man.
I was lost in that shit for a while.
joe rogan
Yeah.
You hated L.A. What's that?
You hated L.A., huh?
gary clark-jr
I really hated L.A. No, I didn't hate L.A. I just couldn't...
I didn't know how to do L.A. And the people that I resonated with in L.A. was Comedians.
I would just only hang at the store.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
That was my social life, was that spot and, like, another spot where my buddy would give me, like, free drinks and I could smoke cigars down in the lounge.
That was it.
I didn't know how to really move around.
I didn't understand how to mix and mingle in, like, a music space.
Mm-hmm.
I knew how to hang with, like, the weirdos.
Yeah, yeah.
Like, the cats who, like, were just off and didn't take themselves too seriously.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
You know?
So...
joe rogan
Well, I remember very clearly when you moved back here.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Because I remember you saying, oh, man, this is so much better.
This is just what I like.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
I remember I met Ron White.
Like, I was hanging with him.
And, you know, he's like, yeah, I'm going back to Texas and spend more time in Texas.
And I remember running into Post Malone out there.
And I was like, what?
What's there to do in LA? He's like, I don't know, man.
I'm getting the fuck up out of here.
Everybody that I was connecting with at that certain time was like, I'm out too.
I was like, let's just go back to Texas and do that.
joe rogan
You talking about how great it was to be back here and Ron talking about how great it was.
Because Ron came first.
Ron was the guy.
Because when he was out here, he was out here before the pandemic.
And I was like, you really love it there?
He's like, I fucking love it.
I love it.
He goes, this is the best place.
Easiest place to fly out of.
unidentified
Yeah.
joe rogan
Fly anywhere in the country.
It's in the middle.
It's just like it's a great fucking town.
Everybody's cool.
gary clark-jr
It really is.
It really is, man.
joe rogan
Gary, that guitar's just sitting there.
gary clark-jr
Huh?
joe rogan
That guitar's just sitting there.
gary clark-jr
All right.
Well, here we go.
joe rogan
You need to bust that guitar out.
gary clark-jr
How about if you...
I'm going to teach you.
joe rogan
Oh, wait.
You're going to teach me.
Hey, this is for you.
This is a guitar pick that's made from mammoth ivory.
gary clark-jr
Mammoth Ivory.
joe rogan
Yeah, that's from a mammoth.
That's from my friend John Reeves.
gary clark-jr
Really?
joe rogan
Yeah.
He's got a place up in Alaska called the Boneyard.
That thing that you have in your hand is probably 10,000 years old at least.
gary clark-jr
And you want me to...
joe rogan
Fuck yeah, that's yours.
gary clark-jr
...strom a guitar?
joe rogan
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
gary clark-jr
Or do I put it in case?
joe rogan
That's what it's for.
No, no, no, no, no.
You play with that.
I got another one here if you break it.
I can have a second one here.
gary clark-jr
Nice.
Okay.
What should I play?
unidentified
Anything.
joe rogan
What do you want to play?
What do you feel like playing?
gary clark-jr
Oh, I don't know, man.
I feel like...
unidentified
I feel like...
joe rogan
Do you feel like playing new shit or old shit?
gary clark-jr
Let's play some new shit.
I've never played this new shit like this.
With an acoustic.
A little backstory on this guitar.
I did an event for Joe Walsh, Vets Aid.
And he and his wife, Marjorie, gifted me this beautiful guitar.
And, uh...
It's one of my favorites to play around with at the house.
unidentified
Should I tune this thing?
joe rogan
Whatever you want to do, man.
You tell me.
Oh, man.
Again, this is what I love about music.
I don't know what the fuck is going on.
gary clark-jr
You know what?
Well, I don't know either.
We'll figure it out.
joe rogan
Do you tune it with your phone?
gary clark-jr
Well, there's a tuning app on my phone that I can just use.
So that way I don't have to bring a box of stuff.
unidentified
How's it work?
gary clark-jr
It just hears the note.
And it knows.
And like a...
unidentified
If you set it to standard tuning, it'll...
gary clark-jr
Get you right to where you need to be.
joe rogan
And it's all just tension in the strings?
unidentified
Tension in the strings will get you to the note you want to be at.
gary clark-jr
So right now this one is, the string is sharp, so you gotta release some tension so the note goes down.
unidentified
See, so you're trying to get it in the green.
joe rogan
Ah, I see.
unidentified
Ah, so.
jamie vernon
It's reading the hertz, the wave, the frequency.
unidentified
Wow.
gary clark-jr
There you go.
unidentified
Too high or too low, and you try to match the perfect...
gary clark-jr
And that's how you explain it like a professional.
joe rogan
He actually went to school for that.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I didn't and that's why I sound like an idiot talking about it.
joe rogan
It's crazy that there's an app for that though.
That's amazing.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, this is one of my favorites.
Things about having the technology for this is I can make music on this phone and transfer it over to files on my big rig at the studio and incorporate them into records that I'm making.
unidentified
Wow.
gary clark-jr
You know, so...
joe rogan
What a time.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, right?
As much as I bitch about it, I use it all the time.
joe rogan
So what a time to be alive.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
What a time to be alive.
unidentified
Indeed.
gary clark-jr
Speaking of...
joe rogan
What is this?
jamie vernon
Sorry to interrupt.
It's self-tunes.
gary clark-jr
Cheers.
joe rogan
Cheers, my brother.
gary clark-jr
One more time.
Thanks for having me, dude.
joe rogan
My pleasure.
gary clark-jr
Thanks for hanging with you.
We're going to get on that double date.
joe rogan
Let's do it.
I'm free Saturday night.
Want to go out Saturday night?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, absolutely.
joe rogan
Let's do it.
Saturday night.
unidentified
Alright.
gary clark-jr
My wife's in town finally.
joe rogan
Beautiful.
Let's go.
Let's go.
So many good places to go out here too.
gary clark-jr
Man, I... Yeah.
That's one thing that I realized is I don't know shit.
I've just been in the house and in the studio.
So my time to come up and figure out what's going on in the world is...
That ship has sailed, my friend, until the album drop day.
I'm going to sleep for like a good day and a half, turn my phone off.
joe rogan
What is album drop day?
Which day?
gary clark-jr
March 22nd.
joe rogan
Oh, that's...
gary clark-jr
Which is...
unidentified
Tomorrow?
gary clark-jr
Tomorrow.
Oh.
joe rogan
That's today, as you're listening.
gary clark-jr
Today.
joe rogan
Today.
gary clark-jr
Oh, yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Here it is.
joe rogan
Here we go.
gary clark-jr
So cheers to that.
joe rogan
Cheers to that.
gary clark-jr
I'm just going to go ahead and down this thing.
joe rogan
Okay.
gary clark-jr
Because that's how I feel right now.
No, actually, never mind.
I'm not.
So let's play some music.
joe rogan
Let's play some music, Gary.
gary clark-jr
And then after this, you're going to learn an E chord.
unidentified
Okay.
gary clark-jr
Some new shit.
It's called Habits.
unidentified
while I talk about downing a glass of whiskey.
gary clark-jr
I've got habits that I just can't break.
When I think about it, I start to shake.
I've been feeling like this for a while.
And I always
hide behind my crooked smile And I keep running in circles Chasing my tail And I've lost my pearl I've
had good days and I've had bad And I would have traded for the time that we had I
keep running in circles Chasing my tail It looks good on the surface Cause we've only got one shot From the moment it started
Gotta stay young buddy I'm locked on target I got everything I need More than I want it But it means nothing when you're gone Gone Nothing
is for sure.
I know.
Nothing is for sure.
I know.
Nothing is for sure.
unidentified
Something like that.
joe rogan
How often do you do these acoustic?
gary clark-jr
That's the first time I've done it.
joe rogan
Oh, wow.
gary clark-jr
I'm just figuring it out.
Sorry if I didn't really sell it to you.
There it is.
joe rogan
That's awesome.
That's amazing.
You did it here for the first time.
gary clark-jr
All right.
joe rogan
What do I have to do?
unidentified
Can you pull up an E chord?
jamie vernon
Like fingering?
Finger placement?
gary clark-jr
Are you lefty?
joe rogan
No.
Right hand.
gary clark-jr
Like this?
Guitars are supposed to be banged up a little bit.
Don't be scared of that.
joe rogan
What do I do?
Oh boy.
gary clark-jr
There we go.
joe rogan
Let me get one of these pics.
I got...
How cool are these things?
gary clark-jr
It's amazing.
joe rogan
Which part do you hold?
Do you hold the fat part?
gary clark-jr
The fat part.
unidentified
Some people hold...
It's kind of whatever, but this...
gary clark-jr
Kinda gives me the sting that I need.
joe rogan
Okay.
gary clark-jr
As far as tone goes.
joe rogan
I keep hitting this guitar.
Alright, so I'm putting this finger on the third.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
And then this one on the fifth.
And this one right below that.
gary clark-jr
You gotta slide them in the same spot.
joe rogan
Slide them in the same spot?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, they gotta be in the right.
jamie vernon
What am I doing wrong?
joe rogan
Oh.
jamie vernon
Tighter.
joe rogan
All three of them are in the same spot?
jamie vernon
Oh, you can't see that from there.
joe rogan
Two of them are in the same spot.
jamie vernon
See that little spot there?
They gotta be in that little spot there.
joe rogan
Yeah, I got fat fingers.
gary clark-jr
That's alright.
Red Volkart is one of the baddest dudes to play a telecaster, and he got some...
unidentified
Okay, I think I got it.
joe rogan
I think I'm on the right one.
No.
gary clark-jr
Almost.
joe rogan
Three.
That one.
unidentified
Right?
joe rogan
Is that it?
And then where do I hit it?
Am I doing it right?
Push it more?
gary clark-jr
Down right here.
joe rogan
Down?
gary clark-jr
This one.
unidentified
Like that?
joe rogan
That one?
gary clark-jr
There you go.
jamie vernon
The 12-string guitar might not be helping the most, but...
gary clark-jr
Right there.
unidentified
Right here?
gary clark-jr
Yep.
joe rogan
Okay.
jamie vernon
You gotta strum the strings now.
gary clark-jr
There you go.
jamie vernon
It's close.
It's pretty close.
gary clark-jr
There it is.
unidentified
Yep.
gary clark-jr
There you go.
You're on your way to the best folk song anybody's ever heard.
That's it.
jamie vernon
Ready for something crazy?
E minor.
You can do a second chord.
Just release one finger.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, just release the first finger.
jamie vernon
Release your pointer finger.
Put it back down.
You can go back and forth between two chords.
gary clark-jr
There it is.
Yeah.
jamie vernon
You almost got a song?
gary clark-jr
The album coming soon.
The album coming soon.
joe rogan
I can see how this could get very addictive.
This could be a real problem.
gary clark-jr
See?
joe rogan
This could be a real problem.
gary clark-jr
Right?
unidentified
Yeah, I'm telling you, man...
gary clark-jr
Once I first played an E chord on a Fender Stratocaster through a Fender Twin, Red Knob, 1980s, 1990s amp.
It was over for me.
I quit caring about everything.
joe rogan
I could see how this could be very addictive.
gary clark-jr
You want me to take it away?
joe rogan
Yeah.
unidentified
Okay.
It seems like it would take forever to get good at, too.
gary clark-jr
Nah, I think with a guy like you, who's...
Like, discipline?
A guy like you, like, discipline is no problem.
Right?
joe rogan
Yeah, it's a problem.
It's a problem that I have too much of it.
It's obsession more than discipline.
gary clark-jr
Well, then you'd probably be good at that in probably about a year and a half.
unidentified
Uh-oh.
gary clark-jr
And you'd be out here kicking ass.
And I'd have to go sit down somewhere, and I'd be settling into my photography job.
joe rogan
Damn.
gary clark-jr
Somewhere in Montana.
joe rogan
I might have to learn how to play guitar.
gary clark-jr
Man.
joe rogan
That was fun.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
I get it.
gary clark-jr
You know?
joe rogan
I get it now.
gary clark-jr
All right.
Wow.
Don't think too hard about it.
joe rogan
But now I'm thinking too hard about it because I'm thinking about all the different positions on the guitar.
gary clark-jr
That's one.
joe rogan
We were listening to both Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan Voodoo Child, the different versions of it last night.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, yeah.
joe rogan
And, you know, it's like Stevie Ray Vaughan's the only dude that it doesn't offend me when they cover Voodoo Child.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You know?
Voodoo Child, Slight Return, Hendrix, 67, 68, was so fucking good, man.
It's like, anybody covering that is like, what are you doing?
But Stevie put his own weird flair on it.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
And I'm thinking about all the different positions of the fingers and the sounds and the thing.
And you are singing while you're doing that, too.
You're not just doing that.
You're also manipulating your voice.
unidentified
Yeah.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
But as far as Voodoo Child goes, who's engineered that?
Was it Eddie Kramer?
joe rogan
I don't know.
gary clark-jr
With the panning and the psychedelic back and forth and the shakers.
joe rogan
Yeah.
Oh my god.
gary clark-jr
It is otherworldly, man.
joe rogan
It's so good.
gary clark-jr
That right there, you can't recreate that stuff.
joe rogan
Standing next to a mountain, I chop it down with the edge of my hand.
gary clark-jr
I gotta say, I got asked to do a cover, and I've always been hesitant about doing covers of Hendrix or Stevie, and I did it.
And I was like, yeah, that's the reason why I've never done it.
joe rogan
Well, let me tell you something, man.
I know that you and Suzanne were...
I know you were either talking or actively tried to do a version of Midnight Rider.
Because I was there...
How many years ago was that?
Where you guys did that downtown in LA? Oh, I don't even know.
It was a long time ago.
gary clark-jr
Almost a decade, maybe.
joe rogan
Somewhere around a decade ago.
I brought my oldest daughter, and we saw you guys live.
And it was insane.
And it was like a Monday night or some shit at midnight in some weird bar in downtown LA. It was like an alcohol company put that on, right?
gary clark-jr
Yeah, we were in business with an alcohol company, which we...
Soon got out of because I didn't think that they really liked us.
Why would you send somebody that much alcohol if you really liked them?
joe rogan
They like you too much.
But they sponsored this thing.
So it was a very small gathering of people.
But you guys did a cover of Midnight Rider.
It was fucking amazing.
It was fucking magic.
gary clark-jr
I never played that song before.
Suzanne was just like, come sit in.
joe rogan
She didn't play it before either.
She had to read the lyrics off her phone.
jamie vernon
That's right.
gary clark-jr
That's right.
So yeah, we tried to put something together.
joe rogan
You gotta cover that.
It was so good, man.
It was so good.
Because it was Midnight Rider, but with your flair to it.
This is from my Instagram.
Can you play this?
jamie vernon
Deadass, this one has gotten us flagged before.
joe rogan
Oh, it had gotten us flagged before?
jamie vernon
That's hilarious.
gary clark-jr
It was so good, though.
That was such a fun night.
joe rogan
Oh my god, what a night.
That was back when she was with Honey Honey?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Damn, that was a decade ago.
Isn't that crazy?
gary clark-jr
That Ben, dude, he's a bad motherfucker, man.
joe rogan
What year?
2016. 16. Close to a decade ago.
Eight years ago.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
Wow.
Yeah, you guys have to cover that.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
Did we try?
Did we do it?
I can't even remember.
We might have done it.
joe rogan
I haven't heard it.
If we did it, nobody sent it.
Oh, I haven't seen it.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, I feel maybe it was a dream.
joe rogan
I think you guys were in talks.
I remember Suzanne was saying you guys were going to do it.
gary clark-jr
I think we did it.
I think we did it, but I think I did it in the middle of one of my sessions.
So when I was in my mode, and I remember, I think we did it.
joe rogan
I feel like she said you guys were gonna do it.
I don't know.
gary clark-jr
It's done.
Somewhere it's done.
It should be done.
It's done.
I think she has it.
That's crazy that I don't even know.
joe rogan
That is crazy.
gary clark-jr
I don't know what that says about my brain.
joe rogan
Do you have a lot going on?
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
That's what it says.
Something that would be like a milestone for some people.
It's just like a part of everyday your life.
gary clark-jr
Nah, I'm pretty sure we did it though.
Yeah.
joe rogan
I feel like she told me you did it, but I'm not positive.
I felt like she said something like you were going to do the music first and she was going to sing over the music.
I don't remember.
gary clark-jr
Oh, I think she did the record.
Damn, that's fucked up.
joe rogan
No!
She had to do it with you.
gary clark-jr
No, no, no.
I think she actually did the track as far as recorded with her band.
joe rogan
Oh, really?
gary clark-jr
I believe so.
Dude, that's so crazy.
That's just like a blank spot in my mind.
joe rogan
That night was a fun night.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, it was.
joe rogan
It was a fun night because it was just...
That's one of those nights where you get to see something where very few people get to see it.
Just like when we saw the fight at the UFC Apex Center.
There's no one there.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
joe rogan
You're like, wow, I'm so lucky to be here.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, but you know, Susanna's a special artist, though.
joe rogan
She really is.
gary clark-jr
She's really kind of a powerhouse.
I remember the first time I met her, she was doing Honey Honey at this funky sessions thing in LA. And just the voice, man, just the voice, the songwriting, it's like...
joe rogan
She can play anything.
unidentified
She's...
joe rogan
Plays violin.
gary clark-jr
Violent.
joe rogan
Plays guitar.
gary clark-jr
Plays everything.
We got cuts on this album that We're not releasing, but gonna be used for something else where she plays amazing violin on some stuff and she sings over.
She's incredible.
joe rogan
She's amazing.
gary clark-jr
And I didn't realize, like when you work in the studio with her, you realize how genius she is.
She's not playing around.
joe rogan
No, no, she's really good.
gary clark-jr
She's a studied...
joe rogan
I have a friend of mine who's a musician.
We did an End of the World show on December 21st, 2012, because that was when the Mayans thought it was going to be the end of the world.
gary clark-jr
I remember.
I was watching.
I was freaked out.
I was ready to go with y'all, man.
joe rogan
So we did an End of the World show and I said, let's put together a real fun show.
So it was Stan Hope, Joey Diaz, me, Honey Honey, I think Duncan was on the show too.
And so we did this show in LA and my friend who's a musician, he saw her and he goes, yo, that girl is fucking talented.
He goes, dude, she could play anything.
Look at her.
Her voice is incredible.
She plays a violin.
This is insane.
gary clark-jr
Yeah.
unidentified
And she's a badass guitar player, a badass writer.
joe rogan
She does everything.
Yeah.
And she's cool as fuck.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
She's so fun.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
She's so fun to be around.
She's hilarious.
gary clark-jr
I feel like if shit went down and you needed her to squat up with you, she could throw a Yeah.
joe rogan
Yeah, you'd want her on your side in the apocalypse.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely.
joe rogan
She'd figure it out.
gary clark-jr
Absolutely, yeah.
So much respect to her.
joe rogan
Yeah, much respect to her.
Much respect to you, too.
Congratulations on the new album.
gary clark-jr
Thanks, dude.
joe rogan
It's beautiful.
It's awesome.
It's always good to hang with you.
gary clark-jr
Thanks for listening and hanging in.
Anytime.
joe rogan
Thanks for the cigar.
gary clark-jr
Yeah, no problem.
I got you.
joe rogan
All right.
Let's go out.
Saturday night.
Let's do it.
gary clark-jr
Let's do it.
unidentified
Okay.
All right.
joe rogan
That's it.
Bye, everybody.
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