June 5, 2018 • 27 mins
Ryan Parsons is one of Jake's closest friends. How close? His son's middle name is Owen. Ryan spent the weekend on the road with Jake for 3 shows and over 3000 miles traveled. They have some great stories over the years.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, this is Ja Going and this is Good Company Company.
Welcome to Good Company, a podcast where we talk about
everything under the sun, friends, good times, and company. Now
here's your host, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Jake, and I'm
(00:25):
back with another episode of Good Company, coming at you
again from yet another random place. This week, we have
traveled all over from Solomon's, Maryland, to North Augusta, South Carolina,
and across the border over over in A, Georgia a
couple of times. And uh, now here we are tonight
(00:48):
in the Wolf's den here just outside east the wolf Trap,
the wolf trap. You're right, Is there a difference between
a den and a trap? I believe the trap is
used to trap the wolves the wolves or the wolves
the wolf the wolves. I think the F plays the
(01:12):
F sound plays, but I think it's more of a
V and the spelling. We are here at the wolf's trap,
wolf trap, it's actually wolf trap, all right. We're at
the wolf trap. And what is the exact um name
of the of the town that isn't it? Because that's
always a tricky thing when you're playing a show somewhere
and you might know the town. Like last night we
(01:32):
were in North Augusta. Okay, I understand where we were.
I knew exactly where we were, was there all day.
I talked to a lot of great people there, from E. M. T.
S to the guys that were police officers. We played golf. Um.
But I've realized last night I was saying North Augusta, Georgia,
and it was really upsetting some people that knew that
we were not in Georgia. We were in South Carolina.
(01:54):
So my apologies to those folks. Um, no, no harm
meant by that. But a day we are here just
outside d C in a town called Are you trying
to figure that out? Right now? Vienna? Virginia is where
we are right now. And I'm joined today by not
(02:14):
just today the last few days, my buddy Ryan Parsons. Yes,
that's who you here on the other mic over there.
It's great to be with you. Yeah, it's nice to
have you Ryan. Ryan and I went to college together.
We met, Uh do you remember the first time I
met you? Yeah? I do. We met at a like
a rush event for a fraternity fraternity, and it was
(02:39):
a rush event for Sigma Kai, that's correct, which you
ended up pledging and going through all the up and
lived in the up. Became a brother and lived in
the house and did that too. And I have the
frat too to prove it, a frat tat on his
on his left side ankle Sigma Kai alpha epsilon. Good
try el Za, that's not actually bad elon Zeta. So
(03:06):
were you president? No? You never were? No? Why not?
Looking back on it, would you have liked to have been? Probably? Not.
That comes with a lot of problems and headaches, and
you're too busy. You're too busy being a rock star
in a band called Eehawk Junction, one of the more
famous bands ever come out of North Florida. Tell me
about that band. Yeah, so Jehaw Junction was started. Uh, well,
(03:29):
it happened just like this. My buddy, uh Josh at
the time Owen came to me and he's like, hey man,
we got to uh we should start a bad I
played drums, he was playing guitar, and he was playing
on you. We're playing on we're talking about you. Sorry, yeah,
we're talking about you. And you were playing on like
(03:50):
barstools around town and party and fraternity parties and like
had a good following. People knew who you were. But
like it was country. It was John mayor Dave Matthews.
It was kind of this like yeah, like this cool
mix of like college band music at the time. And
I remember you came to me and you're like, hey, man,
we should start a country band. And I didn't necessarily
(04:13):
grow up as a country fan. I didn't not like it.
I just it's just not all we did. But I
know that you did. And your dad had a big
influence on that, and his those tapes and records that
he played for you as a kid. Us love all
that stuff. So I said, hey, listen, you know, if
you can play the drums, if you can clap, you
can play the drums, so I can clap the country,
(04:34):
so I can play the drums the country. And we
started this band called Yeehaw Junction and Yehaw Junction for
those of you not familiar with these. With the center
section of Florida the Turnpike, there's an exit there. I
don't know the number of the exit. Do you have
a picture of it, and I'll find it by the
time we're done here. The exit is called junction, but
it's it's it is uh connects. It's where the turnpike
(04:57):
in Florida connects to UM Highway sixty to Go, which
runs basically UH east and west across the state of
Florida that can connect Verreau Beach where I grew up,
to Tampa basically winter Haven where I grew up where
I was born, Haines City area, Polk County to be exact.
(05:17):
So eehaw Junction. This the town, the township whatever then
known as the city I don't know, is about halfway
between Orlando and Verreau. I mean, I think that's the
kind of the idea, Like, Hey, what's called singing junction?
Remember our logo? Yeah, we had a donkey. I think
we straight up stole the donkey from Shrek and put
(05:38):
a sombrero on it because that was the only clip
art we could find. You're right, it definitely won the
cowboy hat donkey and then most fun you could have
with the jackass. Yeah, we sold a lot of those
T shirts. I actually have one of those T shirts,
I think back at at my place in Nashville. I
(05:58):
think I sent you a picture of it. Actually, yeah,
I have one too, and in a box full of
college stuff, um, including other things I also don't fit in,
but I do. So you so so darkly we started
this band. We played all over and then I don't know,
we played for a few years. I think, yeah, I mean,
(06:19):
just to give anybody that's listening a little background on this,
so we have this conversation, we went like rented a
storage unit where we practiced like a like a rehearsal.
I mean, we were taking this somewhat seriously, but we
had to play a gig and we didn't know how
it's gonna work. And at the time I was working
at we had Dave Dan, We had Dave armand Trout.
(06:41):
Dave Arman Trout played base Force base. Dave's last name
armand Trout, we used, we used to call him legand Snapper, Yeah,
because his real name was armand Trout. So we've we
renamed into Legan Snapper. So thanks Dave Legend Snapper for
all those low end bass notes you played. Remember on
his base he had like the one of the gibs
(07:02):
that explorer, Yes, that his uncle gave him. Yeah, which
is not exactly what I would term a country looking bass.
That it was, and Snapper came through with it. So
we had Dan. Dan was a bouncer at Pop Billy's
and told us. He played guitar. Yeah, we need a
guitar player. Yeah he was. He was a good player.
He was really good. He was he'd like that southl
(07:26):
um So. Yeah. So we started that band. We played
all over and played it Fra Trinity party sorority parties,
downtown get downs. Remember that first our first show, which
I think is kind of a cool story, is the
guy who owned the bar, Dan who owned pot Bilities.
I went to him and said, because I was I
was working there at the time, and I said, hey,
(07:46):
you know, I was helping the book bands, Like, hey,
I've got a I got a band. He's like, you
do I said yeah, And he goes, all right, you
know the drill. If you're a new band here and
I've never heard you, I don't know what you can do.
You get the door? I said, deal, So Jake, you
and I want out, and the other guys and like
put posters up, remember flyers, like these amos people in
there that night, they couldn't even get in there. We
(08:06):
charged five bucks at the door. I think we think
he had to pay us like bucks or five grand
that night. And after that he's like, you're not getting
the door anymore. Then then then he went to us
like a set deal with us. That was all right,
you guys can play every oh there Saturday night and
then every home game. And so we kind of became
like the house favorite, the house band, and man, we
(08:29):
had so much fun. We brought so many oh man,
we brought so many like different groups of guys people
together and stuff, because it was all about having a
good time, and I could just remember those times just
like they were yesterday, a long time ago. But so
I decided that I was going to leave Tallahassee and
moved to Nashville because I enjoyed that aspect of playing
(08:53):
music for people and playing playing live and playing my songs.
But I kind of figured that i'd hit my point
in Tallahassee where or where I needed to just get
out of there and get to Nashville. That's all I
was gonna do. And so you had at the time,
what I can do. A semester of school after again,
and you, uh, you you stayed back and went to
(09:13):
work selling real estates. Yeah, I wanted to work for
my family, but I mean, I don't I don't know
if you remember this how long ago was, but you
were doing what you were doing your deal head and
hit in Nashville, and we would call each other and say, hey,
let's go play a show in Tallahassee and I'd come
back down. You drive down, I drive up, and we
go get paid. I would make it more money playing
(09:34):
music with you on Saturday's at Populace and I was
first starting the real estate business. It was awesome. That
was cool. So now your dad of three kids, right, um,
you have a little less hair than you had when
we're in college. I know you didn't have that much
in college either. I feel like I had a lot
more than I do now. Yeah, that's for sure. But
(09:55):
so your father of three husband to a wife that
lets you come on the road now with me all
these years later and right around on a tour bus
and talk on a podcast. Do you know that the
first time I ever met my wife, my now wife,
was that the Yehaw Junction show you and I played
in a way Yehaw Junction, Yes, was the reason. That's
(10:18):
correct that you and your wife got together. Kind of
your kids have been made yeah, yeah, I mean essentially yes,
because we played a powerful band the ad Pie bid day. Right,
she's a freshman, she just got her bid at ad
Pie and there are these sexy dudes up on the
Adpie porch, Sligan country music. Now was the first time
(10:38):
we ever met, probably playing drums and loafers. Oh yeah,
probably so we're not cowboys shoes. Le's hurt my feet
cowboys shoes. We all, I mean, we ultimately didn't start
dating until years later, but yeah, that was our first
first encounter. Do you remember? And oh, by the way,
sitting here on the bus with his radio over his shoulder,
(10:59):
and uh, do you remember the days of watching the
band Yeehaw Junction play just the first couple of songs
after that, I was drunk and don't remember anything. We've
already had ando on before, talking about how he had
a passion at the time for Yeager bombs, Like all
he drank. Do you remember that? You don't know? Yeah,
(11:20):
all I don't. I don't know either, Yeah, all all
and drank was Yeager bombs and uh. Or he would
just take a shot of Yeager basically and then just
pound like a red Bull. Right, I'd take a shot
of Yeager and to take a sip red Bull because
because those bars, those bars would charge you away too
much for I made red Bull go far economical. Oh
(11:41):
you did like one extended yeager bomb? Yeah? Yeah. Do
you have any good stories that you can bring up
on this podcast about I mean for those out there
that would like to hear a good college story about
us or me or something where I would be entertaining.
I know you usually have some pretty good stories persons.
I do. I do. By the way, joining us here today.
(12:03):
Thanks for having drummer of the band. I appreciate I
appreciate you having me. I appreciate you saying that you're
certainly one of my best buddies. And and and O two.
I mean we all go back, really, I mean to college.
I I don't know how much truth or is at
this store. This is at least the way I remember
it is that, you know, we were getting some traction
in town, and we wanted to get a new p
(12:25):
A system. Remember that the mackiw eight away we end
up getting. And and Oh was the head of the
south Gate that dorm, and he had us come play
a south Gate event. And I'd like to think he
like gratuitously overpaid us. Yeah, he overpaid us so we
can pay for a system. Yeah, absolutely so in a way.
(12:46):
And Oh is responsible for getting the band to sound better.
So therefore, you a d pie, would have us play
at their sorority house. We sounded so good at that
sorority house that your wife heard us playing zoned in
on you know. Unlikely, but you got you guys hit
it off, and here we are, all these years later.
(13:07):
You have three kids thanks to and O helping us
out buying that p A system. I haven't even gotten
to thank you, card, you know, I owe you big.
Although I can assure you that my wife wasn't zoned
in on me then, I'm no kidding. I wouldn't. I
would have been so scared to talk to her, how
good looking she was. She had made me nervous. Was
your your wife still now? Of course she is now,
(13:28):
but you get courage over the years. But it is
interesting because I was. It's funny, you know, um, people
know that I've been married and divorced, and I don't
advocate that or anything, but I admire my friends that
like y'all that are married. You have three kids, like,
being married isn't always easy, especially being a traveling you
(13:49):
know kind of guy, and and your wife you know,
supports you. You have two kids at home, and you
travel all the time with me, And it was interesting
watching Parsons the other day. Um talking to your wife
and basically talking her off of a cliff. Um, yeah,
metaphorically speaking, she was about to lose it over we
(14:12):
had some stuff done at the house and the contractor
made a mistake. And but but okay, whatever, But what
what did it all really boil down to. I'm not
totally sure what plus to say here? Wallpaper? You were
sitting here on the couch telling her everything is gonna
be okay. Yeah, the wallpaper was messed up? Yeah? Yeah,
(14:33):
is that really? I mean, like, would you say to
those out there that are listening that are married, that
have kids, I mean, is that would they be shaking
their head right now, going yeah, It's totally something I
deal with on a daily base. If you're listening to
this right now and you are married, and let me
be really clear, I am absolutely crazy my wife. I'm
the love and I love your wife. But it's still
(14:55):
funny to hear who cares? She if this is what?
This is? Why this is funny Because this show is
called Good Company, and it's about being with good people
that tell good stories and the memories and you were
cracking me up because you were being so just sincere
about how okay it was gonna be when you get
(15:16):
home this coming week. You know it's all gonna be okay,
we'll fix this wallpaper situation and blah blah blah. And
I just started laughing because you're seeing there having a serious,
in depth conversation about wallpaper. So here's the thing I think,
and I think everyone there's listening would agree with this
if they're married, and particularly those who travel. And I'm
fortunate enough in my job I don't have to travel
that much, but just being gone for a couple of days,
(15:37):
you know, she's home. We've got three little kids, Jack
bowen Burke. You know they're wearing on her right because
kids will do that to you. And then it's like
one more thing. And I think the wallpaper was the
straw broke the camel's back. So yes, yes, I think
it's a very normal thing. And oh, would you agree
that this is a normal thing. Don't bring me into that.
Do you kind of feel like right there, like uh,
(16:00):
Parsons was kind of trying to kind of like cushion
that whole thing because you feel like maybe Saunder is
going to be upset that we're talking about this wallpaper situation.
Blame Saunder. If you're listening, which you probably will, you
can blame this completely on me because I brought this
story up and I actually thought it was hilarious. You
guys were in a you were having a meltdown over wallpaper.
(16:21):
I think Parsons has to go home to Sandra and
you and I don't listen to you out here with
your wife, and you love your wife more than anything.
And there's times where like you guys are talking about
something like what like the dog pete on the floor, Yeah,
dog pete on the floor and yeah, yeah, or you know,
(16:45):
should we move on and get away from these types
of conversations right away? Okay? Uh, So you've done a
lot of things, parsons um with me outside of just
riding around on a bus and watching music and mean
caddied out of the T and A T and T
Pebble Beach program and we get to do that and
(17:05):
travel out there each each year. That's a lot of fun.
It's a blast. We um. You know. I'll say this
to the for the people to hear. I'll say to you,
I've been so blessed and fortunate, um to be able
to do some of the things that I've been able
to do and their direct result of of you know,
your contacts and your success and your hard work and
(17:26):
our friendship. And I'm so grateful for that, I mean,
and I both And it's just really fun to have
become um like to be treated part of the part
of the family. I mean, and it's and there's there
there's a we're always joking like there's a little there's
a tree, right, and there's only a few guys in
the tree. And I've always just felt like that and
(17:46):
I really really appreciate that. And the pebble thing has
been incredible, I mean, watching you play out there, it's
been awesome. Carrying the bag has been awesome. Having that.
We've had some great dinners with some really really cool people.
And I don't know if you guys were talked about
that out here, Um, we we we have. We haven't.
There's so much we haven't talked about on the show,
(18:07):
which is kind of why it was fun to just
kind of get together with you and talk. But yeah,
the stories is what makes I think this show fun.
Telling things that the people are tuned in and want
to hear about our life outside of music and and
the fun opportunities in places that we get to go
and the people we get to meet, and uh, yeah,
(18:27):
we've had moments where we're just sitting there having a
beer with Clean Eastwood. Yeah, I mean a funny story
I guess about Pebble would be, well, I think it
was the first year. Well I went, um and there's
I don't know, eight or ten of us at the table,
and it was a pretty power packed table. And not
the drop names, but go ahead and get a broom
(18:48):
because I'm getting ready to so. At our table was
you know, country to protect the innocent. The at our
table was country star and legend Jaco and the rightist
hockey player of all time Wayne Gretzky, the number one
golf golfer in the world at the time, Jordan's speak,
the number two golfer at the time, Dustin Johnson, and
(19:10):
me and every one of the restaurants trying to figure
out who I am. They probably thought like, this guy's
either got a ton of money or what's going on here?
Like who's this guy? That was fun, That's fun to
hang out with those guys, um because It's always funny
to put people on pedestals. You know. You know, I
know you mentioned you know, the greatest talk player, the
number one golfers in the world. But they're all just
(19:31):
normal people at the end of the day. And I
think you can see that too, coming out and hanging
like that. Is that, Um, it's nice to be around
other people that kind of make you realize as well that, uh,
everyone's the same when we're just people might slap a
hockey puck around, if someone might sing a song, or
you might be, you know, selling insurance, but we all
put our pants on one leg at a time. Well,
you know. And one thing I think i'd say too
(19:53):
is a as a testament to the kind of guy
that you are, is a kind of friend that you
are and and uh, you know, and I would I
totally agree with this. If you're talking to my totally
agree with you. You're gonna wait TOI what I say. Okay, Uh,
you don't like implied niceness, Okay, we'll apply any niceness.
I you know, when I've met some of these you know,
(20:14):
big time or famous people and been introduced to them
by you as you know, one of your good friends
or one of your best friends. It's like the connections instant, right.
I mean, like you've got such credibility with these people
that the people you surround yourself with their like they're
they're just walking right in and that's I mean, that
says a lot about your character and the type of
guy that you are that they want to spend time,
(20:34):
you know, with the people that you want to spend
time with it and that's that's really cool. That's a
really cool trait that you have. You always been really
inclusive about about stuff like that, and that's a lot
of people recognize that. It's really cool. Y what do you? Uh?
What would you say? Kind of closing this thing up
with you traveling on the road for those out there
(20:55):
that don't know what it's like to get on a
bus and travel data day to a show and then
what you do while you're you know, the first day,
we played golf whatever. Right, Um, By the way, I
had a pretty stellar round of golf. Okay, so this
was incredible. We played a extremely nice golf course in
the South Carolina, Georgia area. Let's leave it at that one.
(21:20):
Roll you up? Did you ever? I mean you played
so good? Um? Would you miss a four ft on
eight teen to shoot sixty nine or something. So I mean,
I thought it was a sixty six. It was. You
played great. I don't think you missed a shot a
couple of chipp ins. You played. I'm very upset with
(21:40):
my play. Um maybe, but this gets us back to
possibly your play was due to the fact that you
just your body is not made up and built properly
to take the wear and tear of being on the
road as a as a touring musician. Well so you know,
I've again, over the year, has been very fortunate to
do this, and I have been very fortunate that my
(22:01):
wife encourages it. She loves it when we get to
spend together time together. But I don't think people that
are listening who've never done it don't realize what kind
of toll this will take on your body. I mean,
it's not you know, because you have an unbelievable body.
It is. It is actually unbelievable in some respect. But
you know this. The first of all, you're sleeping in
(22:22):
this particular run, We're sleeping in a in a moving
bus that's jostling back and forth. And you like that
word jostling. That's jostling back and forth, it's swaying, it's loud. Um.
If you're just not used to it, it's you know,
I'm the only you know, movement in my bed is
when my kids come in. I'm not used to. I'm
not used to. That's not the only movement, but I'm not.
(22:44):
I'm not used to. It's the only regular movement. I'm
not used to. The moving around. And there's weird noises.
I will say, in a bunk. It's like sixty two
degrees and totally pitch dark. It's like a time machine
and you get back there, you get in the time machine.
Then you wake up and you're somewhere else. It's pretty cool.
It's really cool. Um. But you know, it's just it's
not your house. It's it's not even your house. It's
(23:06):
where you guys live most of the time. But you know,
it's a it's a late night, it's a lot. When
you say you live, you live in this bus more
than you live at your own house. More than likely.
I haven't crunched the numbers, but I'd say I've spent
probably more time on this bus than I do at
my house. Together, can you please put a spread you
together crunch those numbers. Yeah, yeah, the uh, you know,
(23:26):
it's it's weird like you you know everyone out there
and there were listen listening to you know, they wake
up to the gym today, totally, you go to the
gym today. Of course he did ask him if he
went to the gym today. Yeah, both of you guys
are still sleeping lonely. And it passed, and it seems
a little sensitive today and when he doesn't go to
the gym, he gets sensitive. My touch in that. But
(23:49):
you know, you wake up and like I'm wake I'm
used to waking up, taking a shower, getting something to eat,
and then going about my day. And here you wake
up and you know, for for the you know, most
of the guys out here, it's you know, take your
bad into the venue like a shower and like a
locker room shower. Then you go to catering breakfast and
you know it's it's great food. You never know what
you're gonna get exactly. It's not like walking your exactly. Um,
(24:11):
and it's just it's like the day like today up here,
and it's been raining all day. We don't have TV
sports to watch, so it's just we've been hanging out
and and don't get me wrong, it's a song. We
wrote a song. Weird. I was telling Parsons that I
wanted to start writing some children's songs from my little
girl Pearl. And you know he's got kids as well,
(24:31):
so be fun as much as we now know being
a parent and the fun things that go along with
teaching your kids fun stuff. And they they're very pliable
when it comes to their minds and their creativity. Uh.
So we started writing a song about elephants. They weigh
how many pounds fifteen thousand pounds, and sea turtles lay
(24:53):
about two eggs a day, and bees can pollinate over
two thou some flowers and ponies can run up to
fifteen miles per hour. So I think our premises, like
all these numbers are compiling. But you know, as your dad,
we love you dad, and mom, we love you more
than all these numbers together. So hey, we can play
(25:15):
the final cut for once once it's we should probably
do that. And if you don't mind, before we get
out of here, could you maybe give us a little
commentating um in the voice of the great Gene decker
Hoff that does all the Florida State, Uh games and
maybe maybe get like take us out about the fact
that you guys are just listening to Good Company podcasts.
(25:37):
You're Ryan Parsons, I'm Jake. Make sure you catch us
next time, and then you add anything else about just
the road. I mean, I just I would really love
to hear a Gene decker Hoff send off. Do you
want to hear about the road and Jeane decker Hoff voice.
So I'm really only good at Gene decker Hoff when
I'm calling plays. So just imagines as like the plays
(25:57):
of today. So just imagine this. Jacob when drops back
in the shotgun, he finds and O in the corner
too short. Then he sees Parsons on the left side
of the end zone, throws it back there. Touchdown, Jaco,
and touchdown for the state. No fire the kids. Oh
that's the bucks, fire those candidates. That's my best Gene. Well, uh,
(26:21):
thank you Parsons for talking to us on the Good
Company podcast. You right here on the road, so I
figured we had to have you on very much. Sure
everybody enjoyed hearing you and hearing some of the stories
of our of our past, and there'll be many more
to come in uh, in our journeys my friend. Absolutely well,
I will leave your fans and listeners with this thought,
(26:43):
and that is, um, I just so appreciate you and
your whole family and and oh and your crew have
always been so welcoming to me and my family, not
just on the road but outside. And I'm just so
I'm grateful for our friendship. I don't think the world
knows that my middle son is named after your family.
His name Brandon, Oh, and we call him Bow And
(27:03):
that's just real special to me that to be able
to do that. And I just I just appreciate our
friendship more than you know. Well likewise, man, appreciate you
being on here. Awesome, It's good company. Fire Fire Cannon
Hey, this is Ja Going and this is Good Company Company.
Welcome to Good Company, a podcast where we talk about
everything under the sun, friends, good times, and company. Now
here's your host, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Jake, and I'm
(00:25):
back with another episode of Good Company, coming at you
again from yet another random place. This week, we have
traveled all over from Solomon's, Maryland, to North Augusta, South Carolina,
and across the border over over in A, Georgia a
couple of times. And uh, now here we are tonight
(00:48):
in the Wolf's den here just outside east the wolf Trap,
the wolf trap. You're right, Is there a difference between
a den and a trap? I believe the trap is
used to trap the wolves the wolves or the wolves
the wolf the wolves. I think the F plays the
(01:12):
F sound plays, but I think it's more of a
V and the spelling. We are here at the wolf's trap,
wolf trap, it's actually wolf trap, all right. We're at
the wolf trap. And what is the exact um name
of the of the town that isn't it? Because that's
always a tricky thing when you're playing a show somewhere
and you might know the town. Like last night we
(01:32):
were in North Augusta. Okay, I understand where we were.
I knew exactly where we were, was there all day.
I talked to a lot of great people there, from E. M. T.
S to the guys that were police officers. We played golf. Um.
But I've realized last night I was saying North Augusta, Georgia,
and it was really upsetting some people that knew that
we were not in Georgia. We were in South Carolina.
(01:54):
So my apologies to those folks. Um, no, no harm
meant by that. But a day we are here just
outside d C in a town called Are you trying
to figure that out? Right now? Vienna? Virginia is where
we are right now. And I'm joined today by not
(02:14):
just today the last few days, my buddy Ryan Parsons. Yes,
that's who you here on the other mic over there.
It's great to be with you. Yeah, it's nice to
have you Ryan. Ryan and I went to college together.
We met, Uh do you remember the first time I
met you? Yeah? I do. We met at a like
a rush event for a fraternity fraternity, and it was
(02:39):
a rush event for Sigma Kai, that's correct, which you
ended up pledging and going through all the up and
lived in the up. Became a brother and lived in
the house and did that too. And I have the
frat too to prove it, a frat tat on his
on his left side ankle Sigma Kai alpha epsilon. Good
try el Za, that's not actually bad elon Zeta. So
(03:06):
were you president? No? You never were? No? Why not?
Looking back on it, would you have liked to have been? Probably? Not.
That comes with a lot of problems and headaches, and
you're too busy. You're too busy being a rock star
in a band called Eehawk Junction, one of the more
famous bands ever come out of North Florida. Tell me
about that band. Yeah, so Jehaw Junction was started. Uh, well,
(03:29):
it happened just like this. My buddy, uh Josh at
the time Owen came to me and he's like, hey man,
we got to uh we should start a bad I
played drums, he was playing guitar, and he was playing
on you. We're playing on we're talking about you. Sorry, yeah,
we're talking about you. And you were playing on like
(03:50):
barstools around town and party and fraternity parties and like
had a good following. People knew who you were. But
like it was country. It was John mayor Dave Matthews.
It was kind of this like yeah, like this cool
mix of like college band music at the time. And
I remember you came to me and you're like, hey, man,
we should start a country band. And I didn't necessarily
(04:13):
grow up as a country fan. I didn't not like it.
I just it's just not all we did. But I
know that you did. And your dad had a big
influence on that, and his those tapes and records that
he played for you as a kid. Us love all
that stuff. So I said, hey, listen, you know, if
you can play the drums, if you can clap, you
can play the drums, so I can clap the country,
(04:34):
so I can play the drums the country. And we
started this band called Yeehaw Junction and Yehaw Junction for
those of you not familiar with these. With the center
section of Florida the Turnpike, there's an exit there. I
don't know the number of the exit. Do you have
a picture of it, and I'll find it by the
time we're done here. The exit is called junction, but
it's it's it is uh connects. It's where the turnpike
(04:57):
in Florida connects to UM Highway sixty to Go, which
runs basically UH east and west across the state of
Florida that can connect Verreau Beach where I grew up,
to Tampa basically winter Haven where I grew up where
I was born, Haines City area, Polk County to be exact.
(05:17):
So eehaw Junction. This the town, the township whatever then
known as the city I don't know, is about halfway
between Orlando and Verreau. I mean, I think that's the
kind of the idea, Like, Hey, what's called singing junction?
Remember our logo? Yeah, we had a donkey. I think
we straight up stole the donkey from Shrek and put
(05:38):
a sombrero on it because that was the only clip
art we could find. You're right, it definitely won the
cowboy hat donkey and then most fun you could have
with the jackass. Yeah, we sold a lot of those
T shirts. I actually have one of those T shirts,
I think back at at my place in Nashville. I
(05:58):
think I sent you a picture of it. Actually, yeah,
I have one too, and in a box full of
college stuff, um, including other things I also don't fit in,
but I do. So you so so darkly we started
this band. We played all over and then I don't know,
we played for a few years. I think, yeah, I mean,
(06:19):
just to give anybody that's listening a little background on this,
so we have this conversation, we went like rented a
storage unit where we practiced like a like a rehearsal.
I mean, we were taking this somewhat seriously, but we
had to play a gig and we didn't know how
it's gonna work. And at the time I was working
at we had Dave Dan, We had Dave armand Trout.
(06:41):
Dave Arman Trout played base Force base. Dave's last name
armand Trout, we used, we used to call him legand Snapper, Yeah,
because his real name was armand Trout. So we've we
renamed into Legan Snapper. So thanks Dave Legend Snapper for
all those low end bass notes you played. Remember on
his base he had like the one of the gibs
(07:02):
that explorer, Yes, that his uncle gave him. Yeah, which
is not exactly what I would term a country looking bass.
That it was, and Snapper came through with it. So
we had Dan. Dan was a bouncer at Pop Billy's
and told us. He played guitar. Yeah, we need a
guitar player. Yeah he was. He was a good player.
He was really good. He was he'd like that southl
(07:26):
um So. Yeah. So we started that band. We played
all over and played it Fra Trinity party sorority parties,
downtown get downs. Remember that first our first show, which
I think is kind of a cool story, is the
guy who owned the bar, Dan who owned pot Bilities.
I went to him and said, because I was I
was working there at the time, and I said, hey,
(07:46):
you know, I was helping the book bands, Like, hey,
I've got a I got a band. He's like, you
do I said yeah, And he goes, all right, you
know the drill. If you're a new band here and
I've never heard you, I don't know what you can do.
You get the door? I said, deal, So Jake, you
and I want out, and the other guys and like
put posters up, remember flyers, like these amos people in
there that night, they couldn't even get in there. We
(08:06):
charged five bucks at the door. I think we think
he had to pay us like bucks or five grand
that night. And after that he's like, you're not getting
the door anymore. Then then then he went to us
like a set deal with us. That was all right,
you guys can play every oh there Saturday night and
then every home game. And so we kind of became
like the house favorite, the house band, and man, we
(08:29):
had so much fun. We brought so many oh man,
we brought so many like different groups of guys people
together and stuff, because it was all about having a
good time, and I could just remember those times just
like they were yesterday, a long time ago. But so
I decided that I was going to leave Tallahassee and
moved to Nashville because I enjoyed that aspect of playing
(08:53):
music for people and playing playing live and playing my songs.
But I kind of figured that i'd hit my point
in Tallahassee where or where I needed to just get
out of there and get to Nashville. That's all I
was gonna do. And so you had at the time,
what I can do. A semester of school after again,
and you, uh, you you stayed back and went to
(09:13):
work selling real estates. Yeah, I wanted to work for
my family, but I mean, I don't I don't know
if you remember this how long ago was, but you
were doing what you were doing your deal head and
hit in Nashville, and we would call each other and say, hey,
let's go play a show in Tallahassee and I'd come
back down. You drive down, I drive up, and we
go get paid. I would make it more money playing
(09:34):
music with you on Saturday's at Populace and I was
first starting the real estate business. It was awesome. That
was cool. So now your dad of three kids, right, um,
you have a little less hair than you had when
we're in college. I know you didn't have that much
in college either. I feel like I had a lot
more than I do now. Yeah, that's for sure. But
(09:55):
so your father of three husband to a wife that
lets you come on the road now with me all
these years later and right around on a tour bus
and talk on a podcast. Do you know that the
first time I ever met my wife, my now wife,
was that the Yehaw Junction show you and I played
in a way Yehaw Junction, Yes, was the reason. That's
(10:18):
correct that you and your wife got together. Kind of
your kids have been made yeah, yeah, I mean essentially yes,
because we played a powerful band the ad Pie bid day. Right,
she's a freshman, she just got her bid at ad
Pie and there are these sexy dudes up on the
Adpie porch, Sligan country music. Now was the first time
(10:38):
we ever met, probably playing drums and loafers. Oh yeah,
probably so we're not cowboys shoes. Le's hurt my feet
cowboys shoes. We all, I mean, we ultimately didn't start
dating until years later, but yeah, that was our first
first encounter. Do you remember? And oh, by the way,
sitting here on the bus with his radio over his shoulder,
(10:59):
and uh, do you remember the days of watching the
band Yeehaw Junction play just the first couple of songs
after that, I was drunk and don't remember anything. We've
already had ando on before, talking about how he had
a passion at the time for Yeager bombs, Like all
he drank. Do you remember that? You don't know? Yeah,
(11:20):
all I don't. I don't know either, Yeah, all all
and drank was Yeager bombs and uh. Or he would
just take a shot of Yeager basically and then just
pound like a red Bull. Right, I'd take a shot
of Yeager and to take a sip red Bull because
because those bars, those bars would charge you away too
much for I made red Bull go far economical. Oh
(11:41):
you did like one extended yeager bomb? Yeah? Yeah. Do
you have any good stories that you can bring up
on this podcast about I mean for those out there
that would like to hear a good college story about
us or me or something where I would be entertaining.
I know you usually have some pretty good stories persons.
I do. I do. By the way, joining us here today.
(12:03):
Thanks for having drummer of the band. I appreciate I
appreciate you having me. I appreciate you saying that you're
certainly one of my best buddies. And and and O two.
I mean we all go back, really, I mean to college.
I I don't know how much truth or is at
this store. This is at least the way I remember
it is that, you know, we were getting some traction
in town, and we wanted to get a new p
(12:25):
A system. Remember that the mackiw eight away we end
up getting. And and Oh was the head of the
south Gate that dorm, and he had us come play
a south Gate event. And I'd like to think he
like gratuitously overpaid us. Yeah, he overpaid us so we
can pay for a system. Yeah, absolutely so in a way.
(12:46):
And Oh is responsible for getting the band to sound better.
So therefore, you a d pie, would have us play
at their sorority house. We sounded so good at that
sorority house that your wife heard us playing zoned in
on you know. Unlikely, but you got you guys hit
it off, and here we are, all these years later.
(13:07):
You have three kids thanks to and O helping us
out buying that p A system. I haven't even gotten
to thank you, card, you know, I owe you big.
Although I can assure you that my wife wasn't zoned
in on me then, I'm no kidding. I wouldn't. I
would have been so scared to talk to her, how
good looking she was. She had made me nervous. Was
your your wife still now? Of course she is now,
(13:28):
but you get courage over the years. But it is
interesting because I was. It's funny, you know, um, people
know that I've been married and divorced, and I don't
advocate that or anything, but I admire my friends that
like y'all that are married. You have three kids, like,
being married isn't always easy, especially being a traveling you
(13:49):
know kind of guy, and and your wife you know,
supports you. You have two kids at home, and you
travel all the time with me, And it was interesting
watching Parsons the other day. Um talking to your wife
and basically talking her off of a cliff. Um, yeah,
metaphorically speaking, she was about to lose it over we
(14:12):
had some stuff done at the house and the contractor
made a mistake. And but but okay, whatever, But what
what did it all really boil down to. I'm not
totally sure what plus to say here? Wallpaper? You were
sitting here on the couch telling her everything is gonna
be okay. Yeah, the wallpaper was messed up? Yeah? Yeah,
(14:33):
is that really? I mean, like, would you say to
those out there that are listening that are married, that
have kids, I mean, is that would they be shaking
their head right now, going yeah, It's totally something I
deal with on a daily base. If you're listening to
this right now and you are married, and let me
be really clear, I am absolutely crazy my wife. I'm
the love and I love your wife. But it's still
(14:55):
funny to hear who cares? She if this is what?
This is? Why this is funny Because this show is
called Good Company, and it's about being with good people
that tell good stories and the memories and you were
cracking me up because you were being so just sincere
about how okay it was gonna be when you get
(15:16):
home this coming week. You know it's all gonna be okay,
we'll fix this wallpaper situation and blah blah blah. And
I just started laughing because you're seeing there having a serious,
in depth conversation about wallpaper. So here's the thing I think,
and I think everyone there's listening would agree with this
if they're married, and particularly those who travel. And I'm
fortunate enough in my job I don't have to travel
that much, but just being gone for a couple of days,
(15:37):
you know, she's home. We've got three little kids, Jack
bowen Burke. You know they're wearing on her right because
kids will do that to you. And then it's like
one more thing. And I think the wallpaper was the
straw broke the camel's back. So yes, yes, I think
it's a very normal thing. And oh, would you agree
that this is a normal thing. Don't bring me into that.
Do you kind of feel like right there, like uh,
(16:00):
Parsons was kind of trying to kind of like cushion
that whole thing because you feel like maybe Saunder is
going to be upset that we're talking about this wallpaper situation.
Blame Saunder. If you're listening, which you probably will, you
can blame this completely on me because I brought this
story up and I actually thought it was hilarious. You
guys were in a you were having a meltdown over wallpaper.
(16:21):
I think Parsons has to go home to Sandra and
you and I don't listen to you out here with
your wife, and you love your wife more than anything.
And there's times where like you guys are talking about
something like what like the dog pete on the floor, Yeah,
dog pete on the floor and yeah, yeah, or you know,
(16:45):
should we move on and get away from these types
of conversations right away? Okay? Uh, So you've done a
lot of things, parsons um with me outside of just
riding around on a bus and watching music and mean
caddied out of the T and A T and T
Pebble Beach program and we get to do that and
(17:05):
travel out there each each year. That's a lot of fun.
It's a blast. We um. You know. I'll say this
to the for the people to hear. I'll say to you,
I've been so blessed and fortunate, um to be able
to do some of the things that I've been able
to do and their direct result of of you know,
your contacts and your success and your hard work and
(17:26):
our friendship. And I'm so grateful for that, I mean,
and I both And it's just really fun to have
become um like to be treated part of the part
of the family. I mean, and it's and there's there
there's a we're always joking like there's a little there's
a tree, right, and there's only a few guys in
the tree. And I've always just felt like that and
(17:46):
I really really appreciate that. And the pebble thing has
been incredible, I mean, watching you play out there, it's
been awesome. Carrying the bag has been awesome. Having that.
We've had some great dinners with some really really cool people.
And I don't know if you guys were talked about
that out here, Um, we we we have. We haven't.
There's so much we haven't talked about on the show,
(18:07):
which is kind of why it was fun to just
kind of get together with you and talk. But yeah,
the stories is what makes I think this show fun.
Telling things that the people are tuned in and want
to hear about our life outside of music and and
the fun opportunities in places that we get to go
and the people we get to meet, and uh, yeah,
(18:27):
we've had moments where we're just sitting there having a
beer with Clean Eastwood. Yeah, I mean a funny story
I guess about Pebble would be, well, I think it
was the first year. Well I went, um and there's
I don't know, eight or ten of us at the table,
and it was a pretty power packed table. And not
the drop names, but go ahead and get a broom
(18:48):
because I'm getting ready to so. At our table was
you know, country to protect the innocent. The at our
table was country star and legend Jaco and the rightist
hockey player of all time Wayne Gretzky, the number one
golf golfer in the world at the time, Jordan's speak,
the number two golfer at the time, Dustin Johnson, and
(19:10):
me and every one of the restaurants trying to figure
out who I am. They probably thought like, this guy's
either got a ton of money or what's going on here?
Like who's this guy? That was fun, That's fun to
hang out with those guys, um because It's always funny
to put people on pedestals. You know. You know, I
know you mentioned you know, the greatest talk player, the
number one golfers in the world. But they're all just
(19:31):
normal people at the end of the day. And I
think you can see that too, coming out and hanging
like that. Is that, Um, it's nice to be around
other people that kind of make you realize as well that, uh,
everyone's the same when we're just people might slap a
hockey puck around, if someone might sing a song, or
you might be, you know, selling insurance, but we all
put our pants on one leg at a time. Well,
you know. And one thing I think i'd say too
(19:53):
is a as a testament to the kind of guy
that you are, is a kind of friend that you
are and and uh, you know, and I would I
totally agree with this. If you're talking to my totally
agree with you. You're gonna wait TOI what I say. Okay, Uh,
you don't like implied niceness, Okay, we'll apply any niceness.
I you know, when I've met some of these you know,
(20:14):
big time or famous people and been introduced to them
by you as you know, one of your good friends
or one of your best friends. It's like the connections instant, right.
I mean, like you've got such credibility with these people
that the people you surround yourself with their like they're
they're just walking right in and that's I mean, that
says a lot about your character and the type of
guy that you are that they want to spend time,
(20:34):
you know, with the people that you want to spend
time with it and that's that's really cool. That's a
really cool trait that you have. You always been really
inclusive about about stuff like that, and that's a lot
of people recognize that. It's really cool. Y what do you? Uh?
What would you say? Kind of closing this thing up
with you traveling on the road for those out there
(20:55):
that don't know what it's like to get on a
bus and travel data day to a show and then
what you do while you're you know, the first day,
we played golf whatever. Right, Um, By the way, I
had a pretty stellar round of golf. Okay, so this
was incredible. We played a extremely nice golf course in
the South Carolina, Georgia area. Let's leave it at that one.
(21:20):
Roll you up? Did you ever? I mean you played
so good? Um? Would you miss a four ft on
eight teen to shoot sixty nine or something. So I mean,
I thought it was a sixty six. It was. You
played great. I don't think you missed a shot a
couple of chipp ins. You played. I'm very upset with
(21:40):
my play. Um maybe, but this gets us back to
possibly your play was due to the fact that you
just your body is not made up and built properly
to take the wear and tear of being on the
road as a as a touring musician. Well so you know,
I've again, over the year, has been very fortunate to
do this, and I have been very fortunate that my
(22:01):
wife encourages it. She loves it when we get to
spend together time together. But I don't think people that
are listening who've never done it don't realize what kind
of toll this will take on your body. I mean,
it's not you know, because you have an unbelievable body.
It is. It is actually unbelievable in some respect. But
you know this. The first of all, you're sleeping in
(22:22):
this particular run, We're sleeping in a in a moving
bus that's jostling back and forth. And you like that
word jostling. That's jostling back and forth, it's swaying, it's loud. Um.
If you're just not used to it, it's you know,
I'm the only you know, movement in my bed is
when my kids come in. I'm not used to. I'm
not used to. That's not the only movement, but I'm not.
(22:44):
I'm not used to. It's the only regular movement. I'm
not used to. The moving around. And there's weird noises.
I will say, in a bunk. It's like sixty two
degrees and totally pitch dark. It's like a time machine
and you get back there, you get in the time machine.
Then you wake up and you're somewhere else. It's pretty cool.
It's really cool. Um. But you know, it's just it's
not your house. It's it's not even your house. It's
(23:06):
where you guys live most of the time. But you know,
it's a it's a late night, it's a lot. When
you say you live, you live in this bus more
than you live at your own house. More than likely.
I haven't crunched the numbers, but I'd say I've spent
probably more time on this bus than I do at
my house. Together, can you please put a spread you
together crunch those numbers. Yeah, yeah, the uh, you know,
(23:26):
it's it's weird like you you know everyone out there
and there were listen listening to you know, they wake
up to the gym today, totally, you go to the
gym today. Of course he did ask him if he
went to the gym today. Yeah, both of you guys
are still sleeping lonely. And it passed, and it seems
a little sensitive today and when he doesn't go to
the gym, he gets sensitive. My touch in that. But
(23:49):
you know, you wake up and like I'm wake I'm
used to waking up, taking a shower, getting something to eat,
and then going about my day. And here you wake
up and you know, for for the you know, most
of the guys out here, it's you know, take your
bad into the venue like a shower and like a
locker room shower. Then you go to catering breakfast and
you know it's it's great food. You never know what
you're gonna get exactly. It's not like walking your exactly. Um,
(24:11):
and it's just it's like the day like today up here,
and it's been raining all day. We don't have TV
sports to watch, so it's just we've been hanging out
and and don't get me wrong, it's a song. We
wrote a song. Weird. I was telling Parsons that I
wanted to start writing some children's songs from my little
girl Pearl. And you know he's got kids as well,
(24:31):
so be fun as much as we now know being
a parent and the fun things that go along with
teaching your kids fun stuff. And they they're very pliable
when it comes to their minds and their creativity. Uh.
So we started writing a song about elephants. They weigh
how many pounds fifteen thousand pounds, and sea turtles lay
(24:53):
about two eggs a day, and bees can pollinate over
two thou some flowers and ponies can run up to
fifteen miles per hour. So I think our premises, like
all these numbers are compiling. But you know, as your dad,
we love you dad, and mom, we love you more
than all these numbers together. So hey, we can play
(25:15):
the final cut for once once it's we should probably
do that. And if you don't mind, before we get
out of here, could you maybe give us a little
commentating um in the voice of the great Gene decker
Hoff that does all the Florida State, Uh games and
maybe maybe get like take us out about the fact
that you guys are just listening to Good Company podcasts.
(25:37):
You're Ryan Parsons, I'm Jake. Make sure you catch us
next time, and then you add anything else about just
the road. I mean, I just I would really love
to hear a Gene decker Hoff send off. Do you
want to hear about the road and Jeane decker Hoff voice.
So I'm really only good at Gene decker Hoff when
I'm calling plays. So just imagines as like the plays
(25:57):
of today. So just imagine this. Jacob when drops back
in the shotgun, he finds and O in the corner
too short. Then he sees Parsons on the left side
of the end zone, throws it back there. Touchdown, Jaco,
and touchdown for the state. No fire the kids. Oh
that's the bucks, fire those candidates. That's my best Gene. Well, uh,
(26:21):
thank you Parsons for talking to us on the Good
Company podcast. You right here on the road, so I
figured we had to have you on very much. Sure
everybody enjoyed hearing you and hearing some of the stories
of our of our past, and there'll be many more
to come in uh, in our journeys my friend. Absolutely well,
I will leave your fans and listeners with this thought,
(26:43):
and that is, um, I just so appreciate you and
your whole family and and oh and your crew have
always been so welcoming to me and my family, not
just on the road but outside. And I'm just so
I'm grateful for our friendship. I don't think the world
knows that my middle son is named after your family.
His name Brandon, Oh, and we call him Bow And
(27:03):
that's just real special to me that to be able
to do that. And I just I just appreciate our
friendship more than you know. Well likewise, man, appreciate you
being on here. Awesome, It's good company. Fire Fire Cannon
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Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.