Is It Okay to Say Happy Memorial Day? | Skip Happens Podcast

Memorial Day parades are supposed to be simple: show up, remember the fallen, and hold gratitude without turning it into a performance. But when you grow up around these traditions in places like Camillus, Fulton, and Oswego, you start to notice what changes year to year and what those changes say about us. We talk through the sights and sounds of parade day, the pride that still feels real, and the uncomfortable moments when politics, promotion, and “look at me” energy start to crowd out the reason everyone gathered in the first place. 

Then we wrestle with a question that always sparks debate: is it wrong to say “Happy Memorial Day”? We unpack why that phrase hits people differently, how intention matters, and how to honor military sacrifice without arguing past each other. If you’ve ever hesitated before posting, texting, or greeting someone on Memorial Day, you’ll hear a few ways to keep it respectful while still being human. 

From there, we pivot to a weekend story we didn’t expect to matter so much: Tommy Palooza, a music-filled, camping-style festival that felt like peace, love, and actual community. Think strangers sharing food, swapping stories, and dropping the labels we use to stereotype “hippies” and “free spirits.” It’s a reminder that connection is still possible, even when the world feels tense. 

We also get real about summer concert season and radio life: why ticket prices are brutal, why backstage passes aren’t a magic wand, and why meet-and-greets and artist security are tighter than ever. If you’ve ever been tempted to send the “can you hook me up?” text, this will give you the honest behind-the-scenes view. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review with your take: what does Memorial Day mean to you, and what should a parade feel like?

Transcript

Greetings And Weather Whiplash

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Hello. How are you? Here we are. It's another edition of Skip Happens. It's another podcast. Um, Mr. A, Skip Clark. Here we are. And uh yeah, how are you?

SPEAKER_02 1:11

I'm good. I'm good.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

How are you? I am just wonderful, wonderful. And uh coming off just a busy time and uh the unofficial uh beginning to summer. So they they call it the unofficial beginning to summer, but is it really?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

I mean, I don't know. You know, me and your wife, as I was coming in, were talking about how nice the weather was, and we're like, you know, we're in central New York, so you can't get your hopes too high yet. You know what I mean? Because sure it's May, but it could storm, it could well, it's unpredictable, really.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Just a couple of weeks ago, just a couple of weeks ago. I mean, we had 90 degree temperatures, and within a couple of days we had flurries and we had frost warnings, so you know, I mean, that's so you never know what to expect. Yeah, in the northeast. So, anyways, here we are. It's it's another podcast, it's another edition of Skip Happens, and uh, we actually should be out on the back porch doing this tonight. Wouldn't that have been that would have been a great idea? It's a lot of work to set up, though.

SPEAKER_02 2:07

Yeah, that's okay. We'll we'll get on it maybe next week after.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

I'm all worn out from the weekend, and uh Monday, you know, coming off of Memorial Day weekend, and we did the podcast. Well, you what you weren't out with me. I had Commander John Trebetta, who is a retired United States Navy commander, which is really cool. Uh, we were set up in the town of Camillas, the village of Camillas, for the parade. And uh wow, what a weekend. And uh, you know, the parade is I don't know about you. Have you you have a parade in Fulton? Do you do that? You do, you do.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Yep, there's a there's a parade in Fulton. It's a huge deal, you know. Yeah, they get rides and they do like a like a fair thing after.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Oh, so they have like you can go yeah, get candy and yeah, do stuff like that. What are they do they do that like at the War Memorial? They do.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

Yeah, they do it right next to the War Memorial, right next to um the ice skating rink in Fulton. Um, and then the parade goes like right through the city

Memorial Day Parade Traditions

SPEAKER_02 3:05

across the bridge. Oh, how cool? Um, and they get like everybody in the city.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

And a swago does that too.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Swego does one as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

That's how I said that. Yeah. Swego.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

So was did I say that right?

SPEAKER_02 3:16

You did not, but that's all right. He's still learning.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

You know, it's funny because being on the air every day, I know we're gonna talk about Memorial Day, but uh, I know I'll get yelled at for going off the path here. But um, it's like whenever I say Aswigo, I try to say a swago. I think of how you say it because you're from But you said it right the first time.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

I did. You said Aswigo, Aswego. Nope, you're saying a swag.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Swego.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

Yep, there you go.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

As we go.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Oh my gosh, guys.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

We did I did it.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

He did it.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

As we go, not a swago.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

As we go.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

All right, I got it.

unknown 3:50

I got it.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

But uh yeah, a lot going on up there too. They have a big parade.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Yes, they do.

unknown 3:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Uh I spent many a time in that parade with the radio station.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

So and what's really cool too is we do the hometown happenings on all of our stations, and I get to VO that. And when I was looking at events, I was like, oh my gosh, let's let's see who's got Memorial Day parades, you know. Tell everybody what so oh, go ahead. I was just gonna say there are so many cities and towns that do Memorial Day parades, whether it's like New Haven or like Central Square, really small. Um Jordan, exactly, smaller communities versus like I mean Camillus and Fulton and a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

Yeah, you mentioned that you VO'ed it. Tell everybody what's VO mean?

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Voiceover.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

So I So when you hear the voice, correct.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

It is me. It's Miss Ray, which is so cool. I I love doing that.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

So yeah, you're doing a great job at it. But uh getting back to the parade, um, of course, as I mentioned, I was in the village of Camillas with a commander from the United States Navy, and uh we talked through the whole parade, you know, as the the different units came down through and all that. And I can remember growing up, I I grew up in Camillas and um going to the parade with my dad, who was a firefighter at the time, and handing out the flags and you know, just the excitement and the thousands of people. But back then, the parade, I mean, we had actual tanks from uh the reserve that was uh, I believe it was in Mattydale, New York. They bring the tanks over, a couple of tanks. We had a flyover with the jets. I know all that costs money now, I get it, but that's what Memorial Day is about. And the different units of our military, I think they all should be in the parade. To a certain degree.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Of course, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

At least be represented. Uh and the Gold Star Mothers, I mean, it's great to see them and uh wow, just what they've been through, you know, losing somebody in battle and along those lines. But uh, so it doing this parade and being at this parade year after year after year, you see the changes. Now we see I gotta be careful how I say this. Uh, a ton of politicians. We see a lot of politicians. I get it. They're out, they want to gather vote votes. They want, you know, they do what they have to do. They throw candy and shake hands and I mean it's great exposure, you know. Oh, no doubt. No doubt. It is. And then, you know, I think they had like three or four marching bands and they had some really cool things. But the military, yes, it's a day of we're celebrating Memorial Day. And when I say celebrating, we're thanking those men and women in a way uh, you know, it's our way of saying thank you for what you what you've done for us, so we can, you know, have a parade like this, so we can live our lives the way we live them nowadays. But uh then came the debate, and we were talking about this. Where do you say happy memorial day? Or is that not the right thing to say? Now, I I saw a post from somebody, it was online on Facebook, of course, you know how the internet is, that um somebody was saying it is happy memorial day. And this was a veteran because it's going back, you know, where it's happy memorial day because we are where we are because of that. So we need to celebrate that. And there's a lot of men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice, as I mentioned minutes ago, so we could do this. But uh then there was other people saying, Why do you call it happy? You realize how many people died? Do you realize? But you know what? Think about it the other way. Yes, yes, that's very sad. I totally get that. But we're celebrating, and that's the way I look at it. Um, just I don't know. I I get into this uh discussion, this little bit of an argument all the time. Not really an argument, but you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Yeah, kind of just making that point. And I think what is also really interesting, or something that should be mentioned, or or a question I pose, I guess, is like if you see more politicians, do you think that that changes like the way that we see the parade in its entirety? You know what I mean? Like, and even as you like think about you received it in that way, like, did everybody receive it in that way? And is that really how we are now going to look at Memorial Day? Is it as like a political thing? Like, is that the current day?

SPEAKER_00 8:15

It's good.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

No, I've you know, like you don't have to have an answer, but it's just kind of thinking like makes you think it definitely does.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

You know, is it about those that are soliciting for votes for for office, or is it about those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice? You know, we take a day to remember that once a year. It's Memorial Day, uh, used to be declaration day back in the day, long time ago. Did you know that?

SPEAKER_02 8:39

I did not.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Well, yeah, oh yeah, that's that's like way back then. Yeah, that's yeah, now it's true. Yeah, absolutely. But um, yeah, so that's it's with the politicians being there, I get it, but I then again it bothers me. You know, I mean, I have friends that are politicians, I get it. And you gotta do what you gotta do to gather votes, but is that the right place?

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Right. Is that the is it appropriate or is that the right time and place for that? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Um I'd much rather see the actual military marching. Yeah, and I'd you know, maybe uh some of the equipment, some of whatever, you know, where you know, that just that's what I would want to see. And the marching bands, I get that. And they play the, you know, that I I marched in a band, and of course, in the Memorial Day parade, and it was always very patriotic, you know. So it's things like that makes really makes you wonder. Definitely, and then you know, a lot of these businesses, when you think about, you know, whether it's the Camilla's Parade, whether it's the Jordan Parade, whether it's the Fulton Parade, the Oswego Parade, you get a lot of local businesses, and local is great, it's great. And you know, they may be married to that village, that town, or they have business there and they want to be represented. But then again, it's a great way for them to get the name out, too. So not instead of just being, you know, Joe's hair slon going down the main drag with your banner, you know, you have to dress it up a little bit to be patriotic as well. But let's say you pay a hundred bucks to be in the parade. Think about the exposure you're getting.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

Absolutely, comparative to other advertising tacket tactics, you know what I mean? Yeah, there might not be a guarantee of that much exposure.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Um I'm wrong to think like I'm thinking.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

No, I don't think you're wrong to think that. I think what you're seeing is like something that isn't right. I mean, Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those that have sacri you know what I mean, like given that sacrifice to be able to fight for our freedoms. And I just I don't know, I think it might be a reflection on America right now. And that might be a crazy take, but I think

The “Happy Memorial Day” Debate

SPEAKER_02 10:56

I mean I don't know. I think maybe I think there Yeah, yeah. There may be a l we might be a little off track, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Maybe a little bit. Maybe a little we need to get back on that track. Yeah, whatever that track is and wherever it's leading to, we need to get we need to get back on that. And I I think we need to it's gotta be sooner rather than later. Um, you know, the the way everything is going.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

You know, I'm gonna stop you for a second because I this weekend really I didn't do memorial, like I did celebrate Memorial Day, but I celebrated it differently.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

In your own way. Yeah. Totally.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

So I um I hold my and uncle at this event, and it's like a hippie fest in the middle of essentially is what happened. Oh, I want to hear about this. Yes, and like the reason I want to mention this is because like you're saying, like you feel like I don't know, like we see that there's a lot of hostility. There might be misinterpretations of things right now, you know, people seem to be a little misguided. But you know, I hate to be this person that stereotypes a hippie, but like the peace, love, and harmony that was going on there was insane. It really like put faith I put my faith into humanity again in a way. Okay, because you see people that are just caring about other people and they don't care, but they care. Exactly. Exactly. And I think that that's like something that we forget in our everyday life. Like, sure, it was a setting thing where like, okay, we're in this setting, we're at this festival, so you should, you know, it's it's a motto to just peace, love, and harmony. But like I think that that reflects into life because like you carry that in there and you carry it out. So I think sure there might be some roughness going on, but I don't completely feel that way because from my perspective of my my my Memorial Day weekend, like I learned like I got to see firsthand, like we can care about each other in a different angle. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

I like that. Yeah, I like that a lot. I like that a lot. And then and nobody really cared what the other person was doing. It was just a matter of everybody got along. Uh were they playing music? Did they have entertainment?

SPEAKER_02 13:16

So there was music that like literally like filled grounds, they like rumbled the floor. Like, I'm not even kidding, it was so cool. There was music playing all the time, and like these people, I mean, you got one person at a campsite, right? Right, they cook a lasagna. I mean, are they campsites? Are they extracts?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

All right, okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

So we're really camping out there, but I mean, one person cooks lasagna, you're sharing with your neighbors, you know what I mean? Like, that's just what you do. You you share food, you share experiences, you share stories because that's all that's about that's what the human experience is. Is well, that's how I think I perceive it, and how some of them perceive it is like learning from others and just communicating and sharing stories is how you're gonna excel the furthest in life.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

And what was the age? The the overall average was it, and I did children babies, children.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

I saw young kids running around. Um, I saw teenagers, I saw couples bringing themselves and their families. I saw it was it was like a community.

SPEAKER_00 14:22

It was actually just so it was how much, how much do you really know about that time? That period, like the hippies and what they call hippies back in the days with the colors and the 70s and 80s, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Well, even before then, but listen, I'ma I'm gonna be for real. Like, a hippie's a hippie, whatever you think a hippie does or do, like I'm pretty sure, like, yeah, they sometimes stuff happens, you know. But the way that I also see is like that's if you look at a hippie and you're like, oh my god, they're just gonna be on psychedelics, they're just gonna, they're gonna be an almond person, you know what I mean? Like they just feed off of nuts and lettuce, like that that's true to an extent, but not true because that person might also be like super compassionate in a way that you didn't understand. And you and I were kind of talking about this earlier, too, is like it's easy for us as humans to like fit things into a box, you know what I mean? To try to understand something, whether it's like my experience or your experience, it's easy to just be like, oh my gosh, well, this is that because it's just how your mind associates things, but like it's it's not how that works at all. Like you got to see so many different age groups at this festival. I saw different ethnicities and people of color coming together. That's great. I saw like so many different and like we're in a swag, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

It's just it's let me know. It's back up the wagon and I'm going.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Yeah, load up. And this year, what was really cool was it was called um Tommy Palooza. And Tommy is the person that like uh started the festival, right? And like now the festival is in remembrance of him, and he's all about like love and just supporting one another.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Take it back a little bit. How did you find out about this originally? Is something you were brought up on? So when I uh so I When Reagan, when Miss Ray starts laughing like that, you know, okay, here we go.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

So I was in college and I had like heard about it, you know, and I I had some family that had gone and I had a cousin that was like, Reagan, I really want to, I really want to go. And this was two years ago. And we went like actually to experience like what the festival was about. This past weekend, I was I was working, okay. I was helping my aunt uncle with the food truck. I was doing like hours of work. Fitting everybody lasagna. Yeah, exactly. So there wasn't a lot of fun, but like my first time, like a couple years ago, like we really went and it was so cool. It was so cool because it just it's very interesting to see people gather like that among the trees. It was like Avatar in a way, you know what I mean? Where like people like are among the trees, and and you're just like you just talk to everybody, and it just um what was it?

SPEAKER_00 17:22

What was the scene like? What was it like tents all over the place where they're just so walking free and doing it?

SPEAKER_02 17:29

There's this field, and there's um like a stage in the corner of the field, and then surrounding the field is a bunch of vendors, and that's actually where I was like food truck, um, like paintings, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 17:44

And people selling, yeah, the paintings, yes, and well, of course, if they had vendors up there, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:49

So they um of course, like it's it's targeted towards the hippies, so there's like psychedelic and glow in the dark.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

They still call them hippies, though. Is there another name? I mean, hippies seem when I think of hippies, I think of something back in the 60s, the psychedelic game.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

I think of like just someone that kind of like lives

Politics, Ads, And What Belongs

SPEAKER_02 18:10

off the land and is more like a granola.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

Granola?

SPEAKER_02 18:16

Like a granola person. You know what I mean? Like they are they just eat healthy, they they don't really care, they get dirty, like it is what it is. It's just and they might, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:29

It's interesting. But they had music the whole time, and everybody was uh people were dancing and like some people were doing their own thing in a certain way.

SPEAKER_02 18:41

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and it it was just really cool to be able to be in that environment.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

It's funny. I looked this up, Hippy, as you we were chatting here, and uh Flower Child came up. Free spirit. I like that.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Free spirit.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Okay, uh, we got Beatnik, uh, New Age Traveler. I think that's kind of cool. Tree hugger. That doesn't sound so cool. No, that doesn't. Uh, but uh drifter, nomad, alternative, uh, counterculturist, uh, earth child, because more or less they're living off the earth, right? Being natural and all that. Uh yeah. So granola. Because you mentioned it.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

I told you granola.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Yeah, it says outdoors slash natural living stereotype.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

So that's cool. So granola, it's like slang for you. Yeah, yeah. That's cool. I had no idea that even existed. And you had mentioned it the other day and it caught my attention. I said, you know what? That's that's great. If you want to leave it all behind, just go and everybody loves everybody in a certain way.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

Yeah, and it like wow, I love it. It's not for everybody. I also want to put that out there too. Like, it's not for everybody because you might get like people are on stuff, you know what I mean? People are sometimes doing their own thing, doing what they gotta do. And you know, if you're out on the streets in like the middle of Syracuse, I don't know about you, but I get a little like, oh my gosh, like, you know, you're a little hesitant, or you might cross the street, you know what I mean? You might cross the street, but like here it's like you just just keep walking, just keep doing your thing. Like they're in their own world, and as long as they're like you just did you spend the night this past weekend I did not. But have you done that before? I did spend the night.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

And you were in a tent.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

You like to camp.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Yeah, I mean, I grew up camping. We had a rondacks, we went to Fair Haven every year. I grew up camping. Me and my sister, we we can put up a tent together. Really? Yeah, yeah. Is it uh and we can get it done, like like it's actually impressive.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Uh that's pretty cool. So you would you rather um, as we drift into something else here, that uh would you rather camp like with a tent, or would you want an actual camper like a fifth wheel, or you know, they have trailers out there. Oh my gosh, you mean glamping? No, I don't mean glamping. Glamping is like, you know, like RV camping, like glamorous. RV camping, but an RV could be, you know, a self-contained motorhome or a trailer, something you pull behind, or maybe even a fifth wheel, or even a pop-up that you pull behind. It's kind of small, or you got your, you know, I was in Boy Scouts, so I remember camping uh using a pup tent.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

I'm gonna be honest, probably the tent. And I know that's a wild thing.

SPEAKER_00 21:39

That no, some critter's gonna come and no, because that's part of the experience. What having a critter bang on your like it depends on where you camp.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Like I would never camp well, I say I would never camp in the Adirondacks in a in a tent, and I have. I have. Um Yeah, like there are certain places maybe I wouldn't just because I'm scared there might be like a bear or something. Something or like if there was like snakes or something, like if we lived in more a deserted area with like rattlesnakes and stuff where I knew I would die, or like crocodiles. We live in central New York. What's gonna get me? Like besides a bear. You know, like there's bears everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

But if you leave them alone, they're gonna leave you alone. The bears are in the Adirondacks.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Yeah, Camp Sebatis years ago with the Boy Scouts. Uh, you get up, you'd see the bears around the uh the dump, or you you you wouldn't leave a cooler out because they would come and open the cooler and take your food, or they'll just take the whole cooler. Yogi there gets a whole, you know.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

One time I was camping at Old Forge and a bear broke into a truck, like literally dug its nails into like the truck, like it had a cover on it, and he dug his nails in and like opened it, and you like everybody was like, Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! And then they went and looked, and like you could see the nail marks.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Doesn't that scare you though? Because that you know, a bear kind of scary, but I bear could do a number on you.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

I was in an RV that day, so we were safe, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

What if they pushed the RV over? Oh no, was it a it was a big one?

SPEAKER_02 23:14

Yeah, this was it was a big bear.

SPEAKER_00 23:19

I'm happy in my little home here. I'm happy in the pod zone. Thank you very much. But no, I you know, I haven't camped in years since uh Boy Scouts, so it's been that long, but uh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:28

You're due for a camping trip.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

Well, there's uh yeah, you know what? I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind camping. I'd go with the guys, I wouldn't mind that at all. You know, do a guy trip. You could do a girl's trip, you do a guy's trip. I mean, whatever.

Tommy Palooza And Radical Kindness

SPEAKER_00 23:45

It sounds like it could be a lot of fun. So it does. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

So yeah, you know, yeah, we we both had a very busy weekend.

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Yeah, it was kind of crazy, you know. And now as we transition into summer, we're getting all these shows and the phones are ringing off the hook. People you haven't talked to in months because they're and and when you hung up everything in the studio today, all the different concerts made me realize, like, holy shit, there's a there's a ton of shows coming. Yeah, you know, and it just uh which is another reason.

SPEAKER_02 24:18

Like at work, I printed them out. Like, I printed out all of the concerts that we uh like the DJs could see, like, oh my gosh, if say that it could help with their their voice tracking, yeah, you know, whatever we whatever, or just to see, and it like was really shocking to see like four rows of concerts, just country concerts, and you're like, Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

And there's some people that go to every single one of those, you know.

SPEAKER_02 24:42

So crazy.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

There's some listeners that do that, and how they do it, I can't afford to do that. You know, the the price of concert tickets, and they're all great shows. We are so lucky to have a lot of these great shows coming through the area. Now, I I realize it's not cheap, but uh the artist does not decide what the ticket's gonna cost. That's a whole nother deal, and I won't go into that because it's really really messed up, but uh yeah, all those shows, and now, as you know, I was the other day, I was just pulling my hair out because uh now everybody's like, Hey, how you doing, buddy? Haven't seen you in a long time. Hey, by the way, jelly roll is gonna be at the uh at the app coming up in June. And uh, you know, I really like to take the missus. What can I do? Can you help me out? It's like, um, dude, because here maybe back in the day it was a little bit easier, and I'll I'll get to another point here in a second, but nowadays, even the promoters, even the record labels, even the artists when it comes to this, they've really tightened down. Uh, whether it's security, um, the number of people, the number of tickets they give out to give to others. I mean, they've really cracked down on that. It costs money, and yeah, you know, and then you get everybody and their brother asking you for, you know, I'd love to go and meet uh, I want to meet Ella Langley. Yeah, you know what? Good luck.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

Because that's like the hard truth, like, but like that's the real truth sometimes when it comes down to things like, yeah, I don't know, I don't know how to help you because there's only so much that we can do.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

I have um I have some cousins I haven't seen in a while, and I can remember a show at the amp last season, and I get a text, hey Uncle Skip, blah blah blah, can you get us backstage? You know, I really want to meet whoever it was. I'm like, so you're doing this now. You know, it's just like uh, all right, I haven't seen you at the holidays, you don't come over for the birthdays, you don't get it, blah, blah, blah, blah. I can go on and on. And then uh, and now you want, you know, because you know, I do what I do, you do what you do, and it's like, wow, he can do it. But really, I'm gonna tell you, I'll tell you right here on the podcast that if you want tickets, it's very hard to do that. Really is. You can make, you know, I I've made promises in the past, and then all of a sudden I couldn't come through, and it makes me look like an idiot. So I've learned my lesson that you know what, it doesn't happen that way anymore. And when it comes to the meet and greets, here's one thing maybe you don't know. For example, God rest his soul, but Toby Keith, um, great, great artist. But Toby was very uh outspoken in his ways, uh, the politics and everything else. He had a lot of threats, he had a lot going on. So if you wanted to meet Toby, you had to have a complete background check. You had to submit your name and everything about you. Then they had to do the background check before the even for us radio, before they would even give you a pass to go back and say hello. So, I mean, and now it just imagine with what's going on, and everybody's got their own opinions, uh, politics and otherwise.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

And I was just gonna say, too, like the climate that we live in, people it's so interesting because people like they become too comfortable. Like, think of like Ariana Grande, is who comes to mind. Like, she had a a shooting, like a bombing in Manchester. And recently when she was doing a tour for Wicked, there was a man in I think South Korea who literally like jumped over the like all the people in security, like I don't and literally ran up at her, you know what I mean? So, like, she's just one example. There's multiple examples where like you have fans that get too comfortable. I saw another one with Drake. Somebody he's he's touring and somebody jumped in front of him and threw him off, you know.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

So it's yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy. I was just uh I was checking something here. I know this is a little crazy, but uh, I'm sorry. But uh I just want to look at something because I did are you there?

SPEAKER_02 28:53

I am here.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

Okay, you're fine. I'm sorry. I was looking for something to flash here and it wasn't flashing. So, anyways, okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

So, anyways, back to it.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

Meanwhile, back we'll be back in 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

But yeah, people it's funny you say that because like I even in my position um at the radio station going back to people kind of talking to you with convenience. Um convenient, yeah. I I've seen that too, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

And just recently, and you haven't, you know, you haven't been with us all that long.

SPEAKER_02 29:24

I mean Yeah, I haven't even been here for a year and I got people that um you know, I I I am in the same boat, Skip. You know, so I have people that m really maybe weren't and that's where I also get a little more hostile, you know, where I'm like, okay, so you want to take advantage of me now, but you didn't wanna you didn't want to be there when I did this, and that's exactly I needed somebody and you weren't there, so you could have you know, but or I I um I got like a random person, you know, the randos that just like are like, oh my gosh, hey, can you hook me up exactly? And you're like, you don't even know me.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

Right you are right, you have the nerve to just or like um but you don't want to be that person that goes, No, I don't know you, uh you know, but you're nice and return.

SPEAKER_02 30:17

It just you can't but it also happens on the phone where you have it happened today. We had somebody for the dinosaur who was so a couple weeks ago we posted about John Fogarty, right?

SPEAKER_01 30:28

Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

And somebody called and was like asking about specifics for giveaways and like I won tickets and all this other stuff, and it was like, Well, we haven't even given tickets away, we haven't even started the promotion yet. Like, we're just talking about it, but people want to jump the gun and like really get on it, you know what I mean? So it's it's very interesting. It's a crazy to see it is a it's a crazy business, it is.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

But you saw my post the other day, yeah. And uh, I'm taking the stand that you know, I just can't, there's certain things, and I just need to to move on and not have to worry about everybody else and and do my thing, you know. And

Camping, Safety, And Summer Energy

SPEAKER_00 31:05

I look at it if you want to be a friend, then be there, be there for me when I need somebody to talk to, be there for me when I'm down, be there for me if my truck breaks down and I need a little bit of help, be there for me if uh I need to move, you know what I mean? All that stuff. That's what a friend is, you know, right? That's what a friend is, and we've talked about this, and I know other people are gonna mention this to me as well about uh, you know, an acquaintance and a friend. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

Yeah, and I think you and I are also different, but different from other people, but alike in the same way as like you and I genuinely love what we do. We're not doing it for the clout, we're not doing it for the do you know what I mean? Like, I genuinely love sitting there for two hours and editing a video. I love it. I don't love anything more than that. Like, I don't love anything more than like challenging myself and trying to be a host on something or do you know what I mean? Like even this is a true example of like we love what we do, we really do love it. And so we we're just trying to do our job, you know. I mean, you know, we're just happy to be here, like just thankful to be in this position.

SPEAKER_00 32:17

If you win tickets, great. Make sure you stop by and say hello. I'd love to say hello. Just there's certain things that uh cannot do. Yeah, not like so I don't know, you know, but you know what the reality is, it's getting really hard.

SPEAKER_02 32:32

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:33

And that's pretty much, and you saw my post the other day, and people are going, Oh, are you okay? You know, but oh, talking about the post.

SPEAKER_02 32:40

Say what you gotta say. Say it, say it.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Well, it's funny because I'm looking at uh the people that are giving me a thumbs up, a like, and what have you, and I'm going, Okay, yep, yep, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

I haven't talked to you in how long, and now yeah, you know, and uh so what you found was the biggest culprit of doing that.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

We're literally like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah, I saw that too. The person somebody that likes to hit me up and text me for typically I'd like to post, and I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so funny.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Yeah, so it goes to show you, you know, it's just life, it's what we do. I mean, and that's what we go through every day, and it it's kind of crazy. So yeah, it's crazy, interesting stuff, yes, real interesting, and uh it's just yeah, because there's so much you want to say, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:33

It's just funny, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

Uh we love our job, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

Our jobs, like what I do, like I do, like what I just said. We we're just real people, you know what I mean? That just are really happy with what we do.

SPEAKER_00 33:48

Um, yeah, you know, I mean, and you work for all the radio stations. I I'm stuck with the country one, which I absolutely love. But uh, you know, you talk about country artists, for example, uh this morning, and you'll see it, uh, it'll be posted here probably tomorrow. Tim McGraw called. How wild is that?

SPEAKER_02 34:09

That is wild.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

And we talked about his new music. I only had like five minutes to chat with him, but uh, how cool is that? And we're I'll I'll have that posted. But he's got some new music coming out, and it's gonna be pretty cool. And he's coming. We talked about his show at the amp.

SPEAKER_02 34:21

So Tim McGraw is a pretty big name. And I was just talking to one of my friends about like meeting people that are like that, like you celebrities, you know what I mean? And like we were talking about how like when we went to a concert a few weeks ago, like we just because he like we were together and I was working for radio, like you gotta act cool, you know what I mean? Like, you gotta act cool when you're around them, you know. You can't act like a fan, but like Tim McGraw is a huge name. Did you have to have like self-control not to have like a physical reaction to like actually talking to him?

Concert Season And Backstage Reality

SPEAKER_02 34:55

Or like do you ever get like antsy about who you're talking to? Because you do you talk to a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

I do, and I have a lot of connections and I get the hook up, and it's great to talk to these people. Um, not like I used to. I mean, it's almost like us talking here. Yeah, Tim McGraw. I mean, he's that's Tim McGraw. Come on, he's an actor, he's a singer, yeah, superstar, and uh, you know, he's married to Faith Hill, and uh it's just it's a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

That's why I'm looking at it.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

You like wait till you if you get the opportunity, I don't know if this is gonna happen, but uh when he does come July 31st, he is at the amp the same night that Ella is at C Mac. So it's like, okay, what are we gonna do?

SPEAKER_02 35:34

I know we're but uh we're torn.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

Yeah, well, you know what? We have a show to do right here, so we'll probably be able to. Yeah, but uh if you get a chance, I know you work a lot backstage, and if he should be standing there, you will not believe how fit this guy is for his age. You will not believe how good he smells.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

I'm just saying is he gonna be like Co Wetzel?

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Uh oh, here we go.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

Okay, sorry, falling into your arms. No, Ko Wetzel smelled really good. That's like I will I can still smell him right now. Like that stuck with me for life. Yeah, no, you know what? It was like an original scent.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

I didn't know what he was wearing then.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

I want to know what he was wearing too. Because I was like, this boy's spent some good money on cologne because it smelled really good.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

Well, they have a good sponsorship, yeah. You know what I mean. These guys get a lot of sponsors.

SPEAKER_02 36:23

That's true. Ella Langley's got a perfume out.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

Oh my god, she's got a perfume. She, I'm sure she's got a boot sponsor, I'm sure she's got a dress sponsor, I'm sure she's got a sponsor for everything. So, but uh, you know, why not? I mean, people are gonna tie their name to her. Yeah, exactly. If Ella's name's on it, they're gonna buy it.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Bam!

SPEAKER_00 36:39

And Ella's happy going to the bank and uh or to the mailbox to get the check, and uh, you know, she really has just turned into her. Be her.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

No, she is her.

SPEAKER_00 36:50

She is, she is.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

She literally that song made her her.

SPEAKER_00 36:54

Well, she was in Texas.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

Ten weeks at the top. You're so right. I mean, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 37:01

I was just I was just I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 37:03

I I remember Reba back in the day was pulling a lot of that stuff. Everything was about Reba. Now it's about Ella. It was about Carrie a few years ago. It was, you know. People like that. So that's it's it's crazy, but a crazy good. Laney. Oh, Laney.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Laney just I was just gonna say that she just got married.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

No, she married whack.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

I do, Duck Hodges.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Quack he was a football player.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_00 37:28

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. He wasn't very good. But he was a football player. I'm just saying it's the truth. It wasn't very good.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

No, no, no. That was hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 37:38

It wasn't very good.

SPEAKER_02 37:39

That's the truth.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

But he did all right. He got Laney.

SPEAKER_02 37:41

I mean, yeah, that's he did all right.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

And there's another one I'd love to talk to. We've had her on the podcast, and uh now I really want to find out what married Lake.

SPEAKER_02 37:49

I see her on TikTok too, and she just looks so sweet. She is, she's that way, she's so sweet, and it's cool that like she's like that digitally, but like that in real life. Like, she's not like one of those fake, like a fake person that we were like talking about earlier.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

Like, she she's like, she loses her keys just like everybody else.

SPEAKER_02 38:09

Yes, I just saw that TikTok.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

Did you see that?

SPEAKER_02 38:11

Yes, where she's like, forgot my keys, forgot my phone, forgot something else, but couldn't forget.

SPEAKER_00 38:16

Then you see Duck's hand come out with the keys. Here you go.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

It's kind of cliche, but it's cute.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

No, it is cute, it's the real thing, it's a real deal. It just goes to show you that they're like you and I. Yeah, because I don't think anybody loses their keys more than I do, but which you're well aware. Yeah. Uh Miss Ray, where are my keys? He uh I think they're in the studio.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

It's organized chaos, really.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

But it's all good. It's all good. Yeah, absolutely. Beautiful. You keep looking at your journal. I'm just thinking transition into your journal.

SPEAKER_02 38:45

I don't have anything else. Nothing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

Oh, it's been good. We had a we had a busy few days, and uh you know, um we we took a little time. Oh, I know what we need to talk talk about. Hold up, yeah, hold up. Do you know?

SPEAKER_01 38:58

No.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

You don't know? No, it's not in your journal. No, we hit a milestone, girl.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

Oh my gosh, I forgot we should have brought a cake today. Oh my gosh, what are we doing? Okay, next time you guys are gonna celebrate with us because you're

Real Friends Versus Convenience

SPEAKER_02 39:15

so right. We did hit you hit a milestone. This is a big moment for you, really.

SPEAKER_00 39:19

You've been you've been part of it for a little bit now.

SPEAKER_02 39:22

Yeah, but you really you really did that.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

We try.

SPEAKER_02 39:26

Yeah, that's it's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

It's so cool. We hit a thousand subscribers on YouTube. I know it doesn't sound like much. We talk about the country artists and they go, Oh, I got all the, you know, but uh for us that that's really good because I see a lot of other podcasts out there that are still like two, three hundred, four hundred.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

A thousand, one a solid thousand one K. Yes, it's so cool. It's so awesome to be able to say that.

SPEAKER_00 39:52

It is, it is, and it's because people like you. I don't know, where's my camera? There it is, because people like you, and uh by the way, if uh you know somebody and you you tell them about the podcast, uh go ahead and subscribe because uh not only do you see Miss Ray and I come on, we try to do it every week. I know we've been so busy lately, and we're gonna get caught up again. Um we're we're two different people, but we're the same. Uh, you know, she's she could be my daughter. I'm just saying. And it makes the chemistry really it it works out really well. And uh, we love doing this. And you always get a couple of different perspectives. And and if you have some ideas, uh just let us know.

SPEAKER_02 40:29

Reach out and uh or if you want to like join us, you could go to yeah, why not? You could go to Skip's website.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

Yeah, go to skip happen's uh podcast.com. Let us know. I mean, you can fill out the form there or just uh reach out, you can message us. I I'd love to have you in the studio. We can even do it uh virtually or yeah, so which is really cool. It is cool, it is cool, and that's how I do a lot of them with the artists. It's always virtual, not always. I mean, I had Jacob Heckworth set right there, it would be on your left uh just a couple of weeks

1,000 Subscribers And How To Join

SPEAKER_00 41:00

ago. Yeah, pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

It is really cool, it is really cool. Well, so make sure to come on out to Home Team Pub tomorrow. You know what?

SPEAKER_00 41:08

I'll make this announcement right now that um yeah, you're supposed to win your way in, but I'll tell you, if you come out, if you show up at the home team pub, no, listen to me. If you're a first responder, uh veteran, active military, you know what? The door is wide open for you. I'd love to have you. It's our way of saying thank you for doing what you're doing. So, as well as you know, we do have winners that will that have won their way in, but still, for anybody that is given that amount of time to help us, you know, regardless of what you do, uh the door is open. That's what that's what we do with the wolf. Yeah, and we love it.

SPEAKER_02 41:45

So that's what we're about.

SPEAKER_01 41:48

100%. It's emotional.

SPEAKER_02 41:52

Yeah. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 41:55

Thanks for watching, everybody. It's uh been another week, another edition of Skip Happens, and uh hopefully you enjoyed it. I know it's just everyday conversation, and again, you're welcome to join us. So, any any

Home Team Pub Invite And Closing

SPEAKER_00 42:05

time, any week, just let us know. And uh, you know, we may even be out out on the road. I know we're talking about getting the podcast like in the stadium and other places too.

SPEAKER_02 42:13

We might be on the back porch next week. You never know what we might be up to.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

The backyard sessions. Yeah, we need to do Skip's backyard.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

Yeah, yep.

SPEAKER_00 42:22

Dogs running around.

SPEAKER_02 42:23

And I was just gonna say that Rossi could join us.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

Yeah, well, he would. He would. He likes it. All right, thanks for watching, everybody. Subscribe on behalf of Miss Ray and myself at Skip Happens. Have a great night. We'll talk to you again soon.

SPEAKER_02 42:34

Bye, guys.