Episode 27 - Isaac Durst

[00:00:00] Speaker A: I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you know, Hank Williams Jr says gay. Gay guitar pickers don't turn me on. You know, and that's. That's. That's how I see it. [00:00:20] Speaker B: Hey, welcome to Tailgate Beers. Here we've got Austin and Ryan as usual. Tonight, we're sitting down with one of our friends here, local from the Peoria, Illinois area. He's playing at Cruise and West Peoria, Farmington Road tonight, Mr. Isaac Durst. Isaac, welcome to the show. [00:00:33] Speaker A: How's it going? [00:00:34] Speaker B: Good, good, good. So playing. Playing here tonight. You're not a stranger to. To the stage here and in Farmington Road or on Farmington Road? Cruisins. What. What are you looking forward to tonight? Specifically? [00:00:47] Speaker A: Having fun. I think that's, you know, as a band, that's our number one goal. Every time we get on stage. You want to have some fun up there, you know, want to put on a good show and make sure that everyone that comes out has a good time as well, you know, so probably having fun, staying tight and, you know, getting the job done. [00:01:02] Speaker B: Good deal. So you're, like, we said, a Peoria area guy. [00:01:06] Speaker C: Where. [00:01:07] Speaker B: Where exactly in Peoria are you from or where you go to school and all that kind of stuff. [00:01:10] Speaker A: Yeah. So currently, are we just talking, like. [00:01:13] Speaker B: All around or anything? [00:01:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I stay in Peoria right now. I grew up, split, so I, when I was a kid, super young, out, like, north Peoria area, and then more so like from the age of, oh, shoot, I want to say maybe 5 to 13. I lived in Edwards for a good stint and then back to Peoria closer to school. [00:01:34] Speaker B: So, so what, what made you. I mean, kind of growing up in Peoria. Peoria. I mean, we have some music seen here, but it's not like the, you know, a large, huge gathering within the music industry. What. What made you get into it and. [00:01:47] Speaker A: And. [00:01:47] Speaker B: And really put a lot of effort into getting. Getting your name out there. [00:01:50] Speaker A: I mean, kind of starting out, I was in the choir room doing some homework in high school, and I got caught by the choir teacher, and she was like, you can sing. And I was like, dude, I mortified. Like, I wouldn't sing in front of anybody for. Shoot. My whole life I was afraid to sing in church. And then she had me try out for the musical theater play or whatever and got a role doing that. And I did that for, like a solid year. And I hated the acting. I just like singing, you know, and then I quit that. And then my. My pawpaw, actually, I got his guitar for my grandma when he lost his memory. And he had always, you know, huge country fan. And, you know, I can get into more detail with that. [00:02:33] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:02:34] Speaker A: Later on. But. But yeah, so he, you know, gave me the guitar and then I taught myself and learned some Alan Jackson tunes and played for shoot during COVID I played. It's like the first year that I was getting into it was 2019, 2020 ish. And I played for four hours a day every single day of the year. And then after that, I maybe toned it down quite a bit. But yeah, started doing that. Hit an open mic in town, got sent out to the country saloon, East Peoria, and then the rest is history. And now we, you know, play shows all over town. And. Yeah. [00:03:07] Speaker C: What is. How did this come about with the relationship with Cruzins and Wayne? I mean, assuming you just grew up here and so you saw shows being played down here all the time and you reached out or. And then what was your first show down here? [00:03:20] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a little. It's a weird story. So it started out just be, you know, it was just me and me texting Wayne on Snapchat and I was like, hey, man, like, I'd love to open sometime. He had no clue. I was. It was like, you know, maybe a year into this. And so I texted and I was like, hey, can I open? And he was just like, yeah, yeah, whatever. Kind of just, you know, being nice. And then my dad apparently was in some golf group with him for like a couple years, so knew him as well. And then he was like, well, you know, I know your dad. I know you, and I've heard your stuff. You're pretty good. I'll give you a chance. And then brought us down here to play a show. And I didn't have a full band at the time and played a show and then opened a few shows for some, you know, very, very cool people around here. And then now, yeah, we've been playing stints as the. I guess the main headline act for the last six months now, so. [00:04:13] Speaker B: So how often are you playing live around here at this point? I mean, is it fairly regularly, full. [00:04:18] Speaker A: Band, maybe once or twice a month? And then solo shows here and there, probably, you know, weekly. I would like to say solo shows, it's just not as much as it used to be. You know, I'm trying to go for more quality over quantity these days. [00:04:31] Speaker B: You're still using your. Your papa's guitar. Is that your main guitar or you kind of. I've gotten additional guitars I assume at this point, but. But you still have that one in the. In the collection? [00:04:41] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's at home. I write all my songs on it. I told myself if I ever get to play the Ryman or the Grand Ole Opry, then I'll try and mic it up somehow and use it to play. Cause it's, you know, the reason I exist as, you know, just a person in general. You know, know, my. My grandparents met through that, and my grandpa played her song on the. An old country song on the guitar, and the rest is history. So. [00:05:04] Speaker B: So it's. It's an old acoustic that. I mean, did you grow up, like, watching him or listening to. To him, you know, string a little bit or. Or, you know, how. How was that? [00:05:14] Speaker A: Yeah, so I honestly didn't. The sad part about it is I didn't really get to know him much as a person, you know, just because he didn't have his memory. He lost his memory when I was. Shoot, maybe in the age of five to eight, you know, so I didn't really get to know him. I know, you know, the shell of who he was as a person, and I know stories from other people, but, you know, being around him, like, I just remember a couple stories, but it was just a thing to where it's like, you know, it kind of sucks. But I didn't even know that he, you know, played at all until I started singing. And my grandma came up to me and was like, hey, you should. You know, your. Your papa, he played, you know, you should. Here's a guitar kind of thing. [00:05:55] Speaker B: Wow, that's awesome. And. And so around here in Peoria, I mean, obviously we've. We've got several different, you know, venues, small and medium and. And a few large there. Are you able to keep busy basically, here in the Peoria area? Are you branching out at all or getting to other. Other cities around here? [00:06:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I think right now what I'm trying. Or what we're trying to do as a group, as a band is, you know, play out of. Out of state, out of town, for sure. Like, we've gotten to Macomb. A couple months ago, we played Macomb. We played the Ice House over there for Western Illinois. [00:06:29] Speaker B: Like, big college town. [00:06:30] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, they got. They got some frat over there that wanted us to play and awesome guys, by the way, shout out to them. [00:06:37] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:06:37] Speaker A: But I mean, back when I was playing solo stuff, I got involved with some manager guy, and he got me out of state for the first time. We played Kansas City and then Omaha, Nebraska, and ever since, and I've been wanting to get back out on the road. It's just we got to put music out, and we got to get some type of booking agent, because I can't book it all on myself. You know, I don't have enough contacts, so. [00:06:59] Speaker B: And I assume, too, that, I mean, you have other, you know, jobs that help pay the bills, too, in between, you know, working that kind of schedule. So that. That makes it also difficult. [00:07:09] Speaker A: Yeah, we. It just. I've been having a lot of odd jobs in the last year. I worked concrete at Morton Buildings for a couple months, and that was a fun experience. It's a good company. They had me. I was doing the pillars. I was, you know, the. The actual concrete pillars. We were filling, like, making the molds and filling them up, and we come in there every day. It was just super repetitive. [00:07:31] Speaker C: And they still using the robot to weld a iron that goes inside of those pillars. Do you know, were you inside there? [00:07:37] Speaker A: That's a good question. You talking about the rebar? [00:07:40] Speaker C: Mm. [00:07:40] Speaker A: Um. I don't know. [00:07:42] Speaker C: There used to be a station that spins around. It welds these frames, and they drop it down in, and then they. [00:07:48] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:07:48] Speaker C: Put it in the concrete. [00:07:49] Speaker A: So I have a funny story about that, because I worked at Fab for a month. They sent me over to Fab, and they had me over there for quite a while. And when I was over there, I was the checker. So basically, they'd hang up those racks right on this big line, and they'd paint them with this, like, powder coat kind of paint, and we'd have to check them for missing welds because the robot would miss welds all the time. And so it was a pain in the ass because, you know, half the time, the people that were welding, they'd miss welds. And, you know, people would get fired. The robots would. I mean, dude, I know a guy over there who works that. He just doesn't check the welds. Like, he gives it to the robot, plays on his phone, grabs the. Well, grabs the. You know, sets them on the rack, sends it to us without even checking. So we'll send back, you know, shoot, 12, 15, maybe 20. 20 of those. Those kind of rebar plates, I guess is what you want to call them. Yeah, forms, maybe. I. It's been a couple months, so. But, yeah, it's. [00:08:46] Speaker C: You know, where are you at now? Working, work wise. [00:08:49] Speaker A: So right now I'm in between jobs. I just left Guitar Center. It was A temp position. And I am either going to take a position at sunrun selling solar, or I'm trying to get a plumbing job somewhere. But I have experience all around, you know, concrete landscaping. I have some carpentry experience as well. So it just kind of depends on where I want to apply. [00:09:10] Speaker B: But working at Guitar center, and we don't get into the details there, but that's also got to be helpful as far as being around music, obviously, all the time, you know, sharing your passion and what you've learned over the years and all of that with, you know, customers that are walking in and looking at upgrading equipment, you know, all of that. So that, that had to be something that, you know, was. Was easy. Yeah, to a certain degree. Just because that is something that you're. You're obviously into. [00:09:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, in sales position, you know, I've worked, I sold insurance for Country Financial for like a solid five, six months. And then music started getting busy and I was like, yeah, I can't really work this job at the same time. And a lot of my job experience in the past couple years has been, okay, I get a job. Things start getting too busy, music wise, and I get overwhelmed and I'm like, okay, now I need to choose one. Then I choose music. And then it starts slowing down again and I'm like, okay, I need a job again. You know, it's like, I mean, it's probably just an excuse, you know, but at the end of the day, I just. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I want to be doing this, you know, that's what I want to do full time. It's what I'm best at doing. But definitely need to have a job to pay the bills for sure. [00:10:34] Speaker B: And so what, how does that, that thought process go? I mean, Peoria, Illinois, kid. Not necessarily. This is a Nashville by any means to where, you know, everywhere you turn, there might be an opportunity that, you know, exposes itself. How. What is that next step for you to, to be able to, to get to that level to where you're doing music full time. [00:10:53] Speaker A: I, I think getting in the studio is definitely 100%, you know, the next, the next step in the plan. Getting some music out, you know, I've had for the last two years, hey, are you on Spotify? Are you on Apple Music? Because no one considers you a legit artist until you are, for some reason, no offense to anybody else that, you know, thinks I'm wrong there. But, you know, I know a lot of good artists that aren't out on all platforms. There's a guy named Matt Anderson who plays guitar and he does solo shows. He's been doing it for 10, 15 years and he doesn't have music out as far as I'm concerned. Putting music out connections is another big thing too. You know, just meeting more people. Like meeting Zach, you know, like when I opened for him here, that was massive, you know, meeting Braxton, another name, you know, like I'll just go out to shows sometimes and I'll wait by the tour bus afterwards just to talk to them, you know, and it works. [00:11:46] Speaker B: So he said Zach. I'm assuming he meant Zach Top. [00:11:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:48] Speaker B: So you open for him. I mean, that had been a heck of experience and, and he certainly has, has, has taken off, you know, probably even more since then. But yeah, a lot more. [00:11:57] Speaker A: He's. He's on another, you know, another planet now. It's good for him, you know, he deserves it. He's been doing it for 15, 20 years, you know, ever since he was a kid. And to see him finally get his successes. [00:12:08] Speaker C: Well, it helps when you have a dad like, you know, what's the joke going around? [00:12:12] Speaker A: Alan Jackson. Yeah, yeah, it's a good one. I've seen them. Dude, I see those clips all the time. [00:12:17] Speaker C: It makes me laugh every time, even though I know it's not. And I'm always. And then the conspiracy theory, somebody like connected the dot. Like Alan Jackson was in this town, which was only like 30 minutes where Zach Top was born on this date, which nine months later. [00:12:33] Speaker A: He does look a lot like him though. And it might just be the mustache. [00:12:36] Speaker C: On the sound and his all demeanor and all that stuff. He's funny. [00:12:41] Speaker A: He's nuts. He's nuts. And I honestly didn't know that he was all that, you know, I didn't know that he was as insane of a guitarist as he was when I found out, you know, like, I knew the dude could rip on the guitar, but I didn't know that he was, you know, pushing Billy strings, you know, giving him a run for his money, you know, because I, I saw that clip of Freeborn man, you know, he played that in what, Dothan, Alabama? And that was nuts to see that, you know, just. I can't even imagine my fingers moving that quickly. So. [00:13:08] Speaker C: That's wild. Yeah, I didn't know he was that good either until he played as far as guitar wise. [00:13:12] Speaker B: So the, the, the dreams and aspirations previously and maybe not today, but did they start off being more of a guitar player or, or was it always singer first and. And being up to. To play enough acoustic or. Or a guitar to. To start something. [00:13:27] Speaker A: It was. It was singing. Singing has always been. You know, I started out singing. That's how I got into music in the first place. Always been a fan of country music. You know, I just never really sang it until I picked up the guitar. And then I was like, all right, you know, I'm gonna start doing the stuff that I know and, you know, I love to do. And I picked up the guitar to learn it, to accompany me, because I didn't want to sing. I didn't want to be a karaoke singer. You know, I feel like if you're not doing it professionally with a band that's backing you and you're singing to a backing track, you know, you. You're portrayed as a karaoke singer. And so I just picked up the guitar and was like, I want to learn. And then eventually it turned into. I was, you know, listening to clips of Billy Strings and watching Sturgill Simpson. And then I was like, you know, I want to play like that now. You know, it was more than just the cowboy chords. [00:14:17] Speaker B: So where do you see some similarities in your voice or your style of music, of what else is out there? [00:14:23] Speaker A: About a month ago, I don't think I could answer that, because my originals were just. I wouldn't even call them country. You know, I was just writing stuff down, and I was just putting chords to it. Like, I wasn't trying to write a country song. I wasn't trying to play within, you know, my zone of what I'm good at doing. And then it got to the point to where now, recently, I'm starting to find my flow, you know, find where I kind of belong in the industry. And I think it's more of like, a little bit a good mix of, you know, 49 Winchester, maybe a little bit of Sturgill, just in terms of, you know, that honky tonk sound. And honestly, just. Just country, you know, that's the best way I can put it because, you know, I'm. I've always been a Listening. Listening wise. I've always been a huge fan of actual country music, a huge truther for real country music. And I just see anything else is, you know, not worth my time. [00:15:16] Speaker C: What were your thoughts on when Oliver Anthony came out and fired shots? [00:15:21] Speaker A: Oh, at Parker. [00:15:22] Speaker C: Yeah. And music general, you know, music industry in general. [00:15:25] Speaker B: Was it ever confirmed anywhere that it was at Parker? I mean, I know it was like, whoever played after me at this. This festival. [00:15:30] Speaker C: Yeah, I Don't know if it's confirmed, but, I mean, it was shots at everybody, right? [00:15:33] Speaker B: No, absolutely. [00:15:33] Speaker A: It was definitely confirmed. It was 100. Because I. Cause I saw the clips afterwards and Parker was saying something about he played some big festival and he was like, I can promise you it's not auto tune. And you look back at the festival Oliver was talking about, and I don't know what goes into his production. I know he's got a great voice. I got nothing bad to say about Parker McCollum. I got nothing bad to say about Oliver Anthony. You know, I think they're two different spectrums of country, you know, And I think Parker McCollum is a lot more country than a Kane Brown, you know, for sure. It's. It's not in terms of, you know, who's more country, who's this, who's that, who's listening to tradition, who is bringing back tradition in music? Because. Because a lot of country music is tradition. It's history. It's looking back at, you know, the roots of it. You know, your Lefty Frizzells, you know, your Keith Whitley's, your George Straits, and saying, okay, how do I take what they did and turn it into something that I'm going to do? Because if you just completely ignore that, you're not going to be making country music. You're just not, you know, you can't. You can't be a country musician and not know a Hank Williams song, in my opinion. You know, like, you gotta. It's just like a, you know, a playbook. You. You want to. You want to be a good football player. You look at the greats, you know, you want to be a good basketball player. You look at the greats. You don't. You don't, you know, just figure it out on your own. You gotta. You gotta, you know, look back Oliver Anthony. I don't. [00:16:55] Speaker C: I guess. I mean, the song was awesome, but I've never been, like a big fan of him and like how he stirred the pot and some different things. And then when he made those comments, you know, he's also one that sits there and bashes the industry on one hand, and then in the next he's quoting astronomical numbers that I'm like, wait, wait, you're sitting here saying that you're never gonna do this, but then on the next hand, I know it, because we've straight up quoted it and your numbers are outrageous and you got sucked into the industry. But then in the next, on your social, you're gonna bash, you know, how the industry is going. And I also know there's some really great artists that. Okay, so what? So Parker has the choice to use tracks a certain point or he just cancels the show? You know what? He cancels the show. I mean, yeah. Some of these guys are performing. I mean, how many times, I mean, how even like Josh Ross had said how many times he tried. You know, how much you travel and you're trying to put on all these shows, you're sitting here talking about pushing water being here. [00:17:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:17:48] Speaker C: When you've got an opportunity to run some tracks, keep it going. Like, dude, it's, it is part of the industry of you get slaughtered if you go out and shoot the bed. And I mean, look at what's going on right now. Bailey being trashed. [00:18:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:02] Speaker C: And sounding like. And everybody's, everybody's complaining about it. But then, I don't know, I, I, I kind of see both sides. I also think, I also think like Parker, I mean, there aren't too many real true, probably cowboys or like that Texas country like left that, you know, are out there. And dude, Parker's, he's pretty country. [00:18:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:22] Speaker C: And again, I'm not totally siding with, but I just was curious on your taking the, that saga of it all. And it's definitely a controversial thing right. [00:18:32] Speaker A: Now, you know, and I'll add to that, I agree with you on the whole Oliver Anthony thing. I think he's, I think he makes country music. I do. And you know, I'm not the end all be all for what is country, what isn't country. I mean, shoot, I, you know, grew up, you know, for a good portion of my life in the suburbs, you know, like, I'm not really, you know, in terms of where I lived, not in terms of my hobbies and all that stuff, but in terms of where I lived, I'm as far from country as possible. And you know, but which I'll get into that in a little bit. But when it comes to Oliver Anthony, it's, it's like I saw that thing that happened with what Cotton I. Joe's in Knoxville, Tennessee, when he had what, 1200 person venue. He got mad at the venue for charging $100 a ticket when he was asking for like 48 grand for the show. [00:19:21] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:19:21] Speaker A: It's like, dude, you can't be complaining about ticket prices. Yeah, yeah. Like you want to, you know, you want to complain about all this stuff, man. Just like all it takes is basic math. Like, you know, a 1200 person venue, you're going to have to sell tickets for, you know, a pretty penny in order to make what you want, you know, 100%. [00:19:41] Speaker B: Let's take a quick break to thank our sponsor, Surfside Austin. And I love our Surfside, and they pay our. Some of our bills. So let's give them a quick shout out. [00:19:53] Speaker A: Can I actually get one of those? The tea and lemonade. [00:19:56] Speaker C: You'd like this one. The iced tea, I mean. [00:19:58] Speaker A: Yeah, why not? [00:20:00] Speaker C: That is one of my favorites. [00:20:02] Speaker A: Big Arnold Palmer guy. So this works out. [00:20:04] Speaker C: If you're into a green tea. This is kind of becoming. Ryan's new favorite is the green tea. [00:20:09] Speaker B: Green tea has become my favorite. Yeah. [00:20:10] Speaker C: Yeah. Because I'm pretty sure even the green tea has, you know, it's 100 calories, 0 grams. I thought even this had some caffeine. [00:20:18] Speaker A: In it, but it's subtle, too. It's the taste. It's really. It's. It's smooth, you know, so, no, we. [00:20:23] Speaker C: We love it and we kind of do. I don't know, we can kind of throw this segment in here since we were kind of talking about it, because I feel like we can maybe get off the rails here. You're on your Isaac Durst private jet. [00:20:35] Speaker A: There's no. [00:20:36] Speaker C: And you are flying probably somewhere tropical, maybe an island you bought. [00:20:41] Speaker A: Be cool. [00:20:42] Speaker C: Plane starts going down, and you just happen to pack every album known to man. Okay. What five albums are you taking with you to listen to for the rest of your life? And you're never gonna listen to anything else. [00:20:53] Speaker A: Are compilations included in those albums? So, like, you know how some artists have the essentials. Can we include those? [00:20:59] Speaker C: Here's what I've said, and I'll be. I'll be as leaning as you want. We've had people not even answer. Here's what I said. And by the way, the plane is going down rapidly at this point. But if it was made into an out. A cd, let's say. Okay, if you can go on and you can buy it as a cd. So Greatest hits. Brooks and Dunn's Greatest Hits. I'll use that as an example. That was a cd. [00:21:20] Speaker A: Can I check to see if it's he. [00:21:23] Speaker C: I will allow it, but the plane. [00:21:24] Speaker B: Is now about a friend. [00:21:25] Speaker A: 38,000 for sure. [00:21:28] Speaker C: I've never had a phone a friend yet. [00:21:29] Speaker B: But while he's doing that, I just. If you. If you saw on camera, I just reapplied it is my lipstick. Lipstick. My goodness. I just reapplied my Chapstick with my surfside Chapstick. [00:21:42] Speaker A: It's a vinyl there's only two. [00:21:45] Speaker C: Two genders now nowadays. So you're. We heard you're either putting lipstick on as a lipstick. [00:21:51] Speaker B: We let the editors take care of that one way or another. [00:21:54] Speaker A: So I think my number five is Metamodern Sounds and Country Music by Sturgill Simpson. You know, you got Long White lion on there, Turtles all the Way Down. Just a good, Good all around album. I'm a huge Sturgill Simpson fan. I saw him twice last year. Completely nuts. The best live show that you will ever go see. If you ever get a chance to go see Sturgill Simpson in concert. Don't. Don't walk. Run, run. It's love it. Phenomenal. Number four. This isn't in order. I'm just. [00:22:21] Speaker B: You counting down or counting up? [00:22:22] Speaker A: I don't know, I'm just kind of. I'm just listing off 5, and I. [00:22:26] Speaker B: Was like, did I miss the others? [00:22:26] Speaker A: Also, we're going to list them off in the same equal kind of pedestal. [00:22:30] Speaker C: First time podcaster, long time listener. So we got Sturgill. Okay. [00:22:35] Speaker A: Keith Whitley's Greatest Hits. I'm a huge Keith Whitley fan. So that's. That's definitely two on there for me. Oh, that's a good question, man. I'm thinking it doesn't be all country. [00:22:47] Speaker B: Doesn't have to be the same genre. It could be anything you grew up on. [00:22:50] Speaker C: You're the only one that's gonna be listening to this for the rest of your life. [00:22:52] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, no, I'm. Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with for three because I don't want it to be all country because, you know, as much as I love country music, I do like a little bit of everything. I've been. For the last year, I've been listening to a lot of, like, yacht. Yacht rock. So, like, maybe some player, you know, maybe some baby come back, you know, maybe. Maybe that, you know, that. [00:23:15] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:23:16] Speaker A: Just. It's a good vibe. It's, you know, when I'm lifting, you know, in the gym or whatever, you know, I just like. It's nice and, you know, relaxes you a little bit, so. And then my last two. [00:23:26] Speaker C: Yeah, we're skimming water at this point. [00:23:28] Speaker A: Probably. Probably George Jones just in general as a person, you know, give me any one of his albums. But specifically, if I had to pick one, probably. Probably his album with, you know, if drinking don't kill me, because I really do. I think, you know, George Jones is probably one of the greatest country artists of all time. In his prime, in my. In My opinion, you know, And I don't think anyone will ever beat him out because I just see him so highly as a musician. But number five, man, y'all are really making me think. [00:24:03] Speaker C: I mean, it's. [00:24:04] Speaker A: It's. [00:24:04] Speaker C: It's filling with water at this point. You didn't even need the parachute. [00:24:08] Speaker A: It's okay. It's okay. You know, I take my time. You know, if I die, I die, right? [00:24:12] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, I got to make a decision on this fifth album, though. [00:24:15] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I'm gonna. I'm probably gonna have to go with fortune. Fortune Favors the Bold. 49 Winchester. They got, you know, Annabelle on there, you know, just a bunch of good songs. I love 49 Winchester. I think they're great. I think they're. [00:24:31] Speaker B: I do too. [00:24:32] Speaker A: Awesome. [00:24:32] Speaker B: I seen them. I was out in Boston for. For my real job. I don't know, probably back in August time frame, and they happen to be playing there and called my buddy Austin here, who made some. Some networking connections for me and. And was able to get me in because I think it was sold out. [00:24:48] Speaker A: No joke. [00:24:48] Speaker B: Was able to get me in just out there randomly on. On a Tuesday night in Boston. And their show was. Was phenomenal. [00:24:55] Speaker A: They're so good, dude. And loved it. [00:24:57] Speaker B: Loved it. [00:24:58] Speaker A: Are you gonna go see them? They're opening up for Dwight Yoakum in Bloomington in March. I'm going to that show. Yeah. 49's open up for Dwight Yoakum, and I'm gonna be there because I love Dwight Yoakum and I love 49 Winchester. That's a win. Win. [00:25:10] Speaker C: Go back to your maybe possibly controversial statement of George Jones. So you think he's the greatest? [00:25:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:17] Speaker C: Really? [00:25:17] Speaker A: Without hesitation. [00:25:18] Speaker C: What would be your. What would be your next two? [00:25:20] Speaker A: Keith Whitley. [00:25:21] Speaker C: Okay. [00:25:22] Speaker A: And Hank Senior Pioneers. I personally believe if Keith Whitley never passed away, he'd probably be considered the king of country music, and I'm not ashamed to say that in any way. [00:25:32] Speaker C: Where do you rank, you know, King George? [00:25:36] Speaker A: Four. [00:25:36] Speaker C: Okay. [00:25:37] Speaker A: In that list. Four. [00:25:38] Speaker C: Wow. [00:25:39] Speaker A: Yeah. I know it's controversial any one way or the other, but I'm just saying, like, Hank senior. I mean, that is country music. You know, you wouldn't have a George Jones without a Hank Senior. And in my opinion, you can't. You can't tell me that George Jones is not one of the greatest songwriters of all time in country music. You know, if drinking, you know, don't kill me. I don't know if he wrote all these songs, but, you know, if drinking, don't kill me. He stopped loving her Today, the grand tour, I mean, you could list off. I mean, take me. That's. That's a deeper cut. [00:26:11] Speaker C: Who do you think is this. Is this generation's George Jones, George Strait. [00:26:18] Speaker A: Chris Stapleton, who takes that? [00:26:19] Speaker C: Chris Stapleton. [00:26:20] Speaker A: Chris Stapleton, okay. I think he's so good that he doesn't even have to be considered country. He's never really tried being a country artist. I think Zach Topp could get there one day. I think Zach is really good. I think Billy Strings, you know, but, you know, outside of that list, I don't know how else you can mention newer. Maybe I don't know about Tyler Childers, but at least not nowadays. But back when he was still, you know, doing the thing, I think if he kept on that trajectory, he probably would be in that realm too. But I think it's for each sub genre. You know, you got bluegrass country, that's Billy, Traditional country, that's Zach. And then just all around. Chris Stapleton. I mean, he's got, what, probably one of the best voices in country music right now, in my opinion. [00:27:06] Speaker C: See, I have mixed. I have mixed opinions on Stapleton, but, I mean, I actually think that he doesn't get enough credit at times. And then there's other times that I look at it and I think. I don't know, I don't really feel like he's done that much at times. I think he goes away for a while and you just don't even hear about Chris Stapleton for a while. I mean, a lot of it is how present they are on social media as the world we live in today of are they relevant or not? And radio versus non radio. You know, I think radio is dying in a certain way. But, yeah, I'm not saying Chris Stapleton isn't good. [00:27:42] Speaker A: I mean, I'm going to put it like this. You know, you listen to a song like either way or, you know, whiskey, whiskey and you. And you can't. You can't tell me that those aren't, you know, some of the greatest songs ever performed and written of our generation. You know, my generation at least, and maybe some of yours as well, because you guys are, you know, Stapleton. What. [00:28:01] Speaker C: What are you calling tens? Where you going with this? [00:28:06] Speaker A: Don't quote. [00:28:07] Speaker C: You know what I mean? Again, I. I am biased on mine of the fact that I think Morgan Wallen is going to be, hands down, one of the greatest. And I know you're not going to. [00:28:16] Speaker A: Like that, but I think that Morgan Wong will be one of the greatest Rappers or pop singers. But I don't think he's a country singer. [00:28:22] Speaker C: And I definitely, country wise, I can see where he definitely is not. He's not Chris Stapleton country. He's not George Jones country. He's not that level. But I don't know, man. [00:28:33] Speaker A: I mean, as a person, he's pretty damn country as a person. But I think the music, some of the music he makes, you know, I. I will say he's got four or five good ones that I like listening to, so I can't hate on that. But I think you put Morgan Wallen next to Chris Stapleton. [00:28:48] Speaker C: I mean, Bandaid on a bullet hole. Like, didn't even. Wasn't even out there as one of his top top ones. I mean, that is good song. I mean, dudes in so many ways wasted on you and I mean, yeah. [00:29:00] Speaker A: But you put a trill beat on wasted on you and it ruins the song. Like he should have just played it acoustic. [00:29:05] Speaker C: His. His recent one, that Smile. I. First time I heard that, I was like, this is weird. And then all of a sudden like, dude, his voice is pretty good. [00:29:13] Speaker A: I mean, my thing is everyone has their own take on what they like, on what type of country they like. And some people like the popular country. And I can't, you know, I can't hold you. [00:29:21] Speaker C: And I listen to guys or gals come through here all the time and, and just love or shit on all sorts of different people. I mean, Zach Top beat one of the top ones going. Sucks, sucks. Yep. I'm better than that person. [00:29:35] Speaker A: Zach Top did that? [00:29:36] Speaker C: Fuck yes, dude. That dude knows he's fucking good. He knows you're talking good. I never, I remember asking people questions about that. Oh, I'm better than that person. I do that. At the end of the day, you also do get to a certain level where you got to have that mindset of like, about like basketball or any other sport. Yeah, I'm the best running back or I'm the best quarterback. I'm the best point guard. [00:29:57] Speaker A: I mean, there's a difference between confidence and cocky, you know, as well. And I think Zach's definitely got that. [00:30:03] Speaker C: Confidence, but it was hilarious. And I listen to people all the time talk all sorts of mad shit. And it is very interesting. [00:30:08] Speaker A: Can you blame him, though? I mean, he is realistically better than I would say 90% of that wall. [00:30:12] Speaker C: And I don't disagree. [00:30:14] Speaker A: But I also, like, I also have. [00:30:15] Speaker C: Times where other people have come in and then say, yeah, I don't know about Zach Top. I'M like, what are you talking about? Yeah, again, it's each their own because everybody has their own taste in music. Everybody has their own top five. [00:30:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:25] Speaker C: If you will, of the greatest, you know, or who's going to be great. I mean, I've had people come in here. I'm like, I don't even know how you just sold this room out. I'm like, dude, I know if I mean great people, whoever. But then the other times you're just like, it's not for me. Well, I mean, Jelly rolls one where I'm like, it's not what I play. It's not in my, it's not even in my top 20. Him as a person. Love, amazing kind all love all of it. [00:30:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:50] Speaker C: It just doesn't necessarily fall in my top. Now he may say, fuck yeah, it's in my top 10. [00:30:56] Speaker B: I would say, Jelly, if you're listening, you are in my top 10. [00:31:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:00] Speaker B: Jelly. [00:31:01] Speaker A: Yeah, Jelly, I love you, dude. Jelly's awesome, man. He's, he's a good guy and he's, he's, he's talented, you know, he's got a good voice on him. I can't really say that I listen to a lot of his music because like I said, I'm a trad guy, you know, I'm a very honky tonk guy too. I love the Waylands, the Willies, you know, the Whitey Morgans. [00:31:16] Speaker C: But going to a concert for me, I may not listen to it, but when I go see him play, I'm like, holy shit, man. Dude, it's. He's so good. [00:31:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:25] Speaker C: But at the end of the day, it's, it's to each their own of, you know, what is country and what isn't and all that shit. [00:31:32] Speaker A: But seriously, you're gonna. I'm just gonna real quick. I'm just gonna real quick for everyone out there that's listening. So you're, you're gonna tell me that you sit Morgan Wallen next to Chris Stapleton on a stage and Chris Stapleton doesn't blow him out of the water? I mean, come on. [00:31:47] Speaker C: I think Morgan Wallen is way more diverse than Chris Stapleton. Morgan Wong could play the most country ass song to. He could be more pop and all of those things. [00:31:55] Speaker A: I'm just going to disagree. I'm going to agree to disagree with you on that because I could go for hours on this. [00:32:01] Speaker C: I just never, never fell into the Chris Stapleton. I mean, again, I love his song. Don't get me wrong, I love him, dude. [00:32:06] Speaker A: He's got the best voice in country music right now, you know, and he's been like that for the last 10, 15 years. Dude, he blows. Morgan Wallen isn't even in the top five. Five for the best country music voice right now. [00:32:16] Speaker C: Agree to disagree. [00:32:17] Speaker A: In my opinion, I think. [00:32:18] Speaker C: Disagree. [00:32:19] Speaker A: I think as a songwriter and as a performer, I think, yeah, Morgan Wallen's, you know. You know, top two, and he's not two. You know, for entertainment wise, I agree. You know, he's a great entertainer, but. And I have, you know, nothing. I have no beef with Morgan Wallen and, you know, in any way how. [00:32:35] Speaker C: The headline's gonna read. [00:32:37] Speaker A: I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you know, Hank Williams Jr says gay. Gay guitar pickers don't turn me on. You know, and that's. That's. That's how I see it. [00:32:45] Speaker B: O. I'm trying to repeat that, but I'm do that in my head. [00:32:51] Speaker A: I mean, that's a good song, too. Dinosaur. That's a. Hank Jr. Man. Come on. I mean. And no hate. You know, everyone's got their own thing going on, but for me, you know, not. Not my cup of tea. [00:33:01] Speaker C: I have my top five. What's crazy is I don't even. There's times. Top five. My top five albums don't even have country music in it. [00:33:08] Speaker A: Yeah, fair point. [00:33:09] Speaker C: But then there's times where, I mean, I would throw a Johnny Cash album, could reach my top five, depending on how I kind of feel. You know, they all hover in that. That 10. Top 10 here. [00:33:20] Speaker A: But, yeah. [00:33:21] Speaker C: What's your burning question you're thinking of right now? I mean, where's your head right now? [00:33:24] Speaker B: Yeah, I was ready to move the. The conversation on. So if there's. If there's any other. [00:33:31] Speaker C: I mean, we're have a brawl for the first time right now. [00:33:34] Speaker B: No, no, no. [00:33:35] Speaker A: I just wanted to get that out. [00:33:36] Speaker B: Before we get canceled by. By Morgan and. [00:33:38] Speaker C: And, hey, we're canceling. Cancel culture right now. [00:33:41] Speaker A: Hey, like I said, no. Hate Morgan Wallen. If you're listening to this, man, you're, you know, a lot more badass than I'll ever be. You know, That's. That's the truth on it. I'm just. You're not my cup of tea, man. [00:33:51] Speaker C: Isaac Durst and Morgan Wallen beef right now. [00:33:54] Speaker B: Isaac certainly is coming out of a shell. So, you know, we started. He was a little bit nervous, but he certainly is getting. Getting a little bit more comfortable with us. But I. I kind of want to turn the, the conversation to, to focus on you a little bit more. And I want our listeners, which, you know, the three that actually listen to our podcast. Thank you, three. But, but those three, I want them to, to learn a little bit more about you. So from an artistry standpoint, from an on stage standpoint, what would you explain or how would you kind of characterize you on stage? The full band together. What are people going to expect tonight as. As they show up here to cruise ins in West Peoria? [00:34:31] Speaker A: I mean, high energy. You know, we always, I mean, I always try and you know, no matter if I'm, you know, sick or healthy or, you know, whatever's going on, I always try and put everything that I have on stage. You know, I come from, you know, being an athlete, you know, my whole life. And so what, what did you play? [00:34:46] Speaker B: What sports? [00:34:47] Speaker A: I was hockey player. [00:34:48] Speaker B: Hockey? [00:34:48] Speaker A: Yeah. So for. I played since I was 7. I did, you know, competitive travel and now I just golf for fun and I play men's league hockey and tried basketball when I was younger. I was a huge D. Brown fan, big Illinois fan. [00:35:00] Speaker C: So do you putt with the Happy Gilmore stick? [00:35:03] Speaker A: No, but they do have hockey. They do have like hockey shafts that you can put and you can like. I think they mold it with a putter and I was thinking about doing it to one of my old sticks just for fun, but I got a, I put with a. Oh, dude. I don't even know what it's called. I, I got it from a line. I golf for like 75, 80 bucks and it's a, like a, it might be an Odyssey putter. It's super nice. It's not, it's not a Scotty Cameron by any means, but you know, it's still. [00:35:29] Speaker C: Well, you sell out, you sell out this room or you get up there into the five. I've seen 700. Wayne. Wayne loves gifting Scotties. [00:35:37] Speaker A: Seriously? [00:35:38] Speaker C: That's what we gave Lily. We gave Lily one. [00:35:42] Speaker B: I was there for that. [00:35:44] Speaker C: Mitchell still uses his. Bailey uses his Scotty. It's still in his bag. [00:35:49] Speaker A: Those are awesome. [00:35:50] Speaker C: I think we gave. I don't know that we gave Hardy one. I'm trying to think of who else would gave one that still uses it to this day, but yeah. Oh yeah. Wayne loves doing that stuff. And they're like rare ones. [00:35:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:58] Speaker B: I mean, I don't know if I own like a name brand club, so. So my, my, my golf, which is not very good anyway. But I bought a nice bag. You know, just the bag looks nice, right? And then I got Goodwill clubs in there and just filled it up that way. So it looks like I've got a, you know, decent, you know, set based off the bag. But the clubs are just whatever I found at Goodwill. [00:36:23] Speaker A: I started out with, with garage, garage sale clubs too. They were like Wilson's. They were like $10 for a whole set. And then I upgraded recently to these, these ping i2s, which are just like really retro ping clubs that I got for like the whole set for maybe like 300 bucks. And those have been awesome. They're actually. I have my bag and my clubs in, in the truck because I read a roll. Yeah. Well, I drive an obs and it doesn't have a seat latch for the driver's seat, so the seat will fold back if I lean back. So I got golf clubs holding me up right now. [00:36:54] Speaker B: That's. That's awesome. [00:36:55] Speaker C: Have you ever. Have you ever hit a hole in one? [00:36:57] Speaker A: I have not. Dude. I'm like, I'm like. I don't even know if I can break 90, you know, like, I. I not a good golfer by any means. I hit good. I'm like a one every five shots type of guy. You know, that's like, I'll hit a really good shot every five shots. [00:37:11] Speaker C: Oh yeah. [00:37:12] Speaker A: And that's about it. You know, I'm a lefty, so I got that huge lefty slice on me. And that's hard to. Hard to. To change into, I guess improve. [00:37:22] Speaker B: So who do you have opening for you tonight? [00:37:24] Speaker A: Yeah, so we got Electric Koi Pond. So Jess and Steele is the lead singer of that band. He's a good friend of mine. He moved here to town from Denver, Colorado and he did stuff with. There's a guy out there, his name's Shane. I don't know his last name, but he's. He's got a lot of stuff going on. He's got like 799,000 followers on TikTok. Like just massive following. And Justin makes like Mac Miller type music and like, if you know who Dominic Fike is, he makes that kind of stuff. So not, not even close to country on Spectrum, but you know, they bring out a good crowd. They're actually really good. You know, Justin's a great singer and I like the guys have hung out with them quite a for a couple weeks now. And Justin's a hockey guy, we play together and we're gonna go snowboarding here in April together out in Denver and you know, like, so he's a good friend of mine. So that's really what I try and do when I get openers. I try and get people that know a lot of people and get people out to shows and just talented folks, you know. [00:38:23] Speaker B: Where are you going? Out in Denver. [00:38:24] Speaker A: You know, I have no clue. He hasn't told us yet, but he said we're gonna get some big resort out there. I don't know. I've never been, you know, snowboarding anywhere outside of, like, northern. Northern Illinois, close to Iowa, like Quad Cities in Wisconsin. [00:38:40] Speaker B: Chestnut and. [00:38:41] Speaker A: And Cascade. [00:38:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:44] Speaker C: When you learn how to snowboard on, like, ice, essentially. [00:38:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:47] Speaker C: You got there. It's. You're such a better snowboarder. [00:38:51] Speaker B: You are. So I lived in Colorado. I lived in Colorado Springs. I was at the Air Force Academy for four years when I was in the Air Force. And almost every weekend in the winter, not every weekend, but a lot, we would go up to Breckenridge. Breckenridge was one I really enjoyed. [00:39:05] Speaker A: And I've heard a lot about Vail as well. [00:39:08] Speaker B: Vail is a little bit bigger, a little bit more expensive, kind of that higher end. I mean, you got to be prepared to go to Vail Breckenridge, which, for my snowboarding, which is not very good. Breckenridge, you know, would still let me come in and still would take my money and allow me to. To go down the. The mountains. [00:39:26] Speaker A: Were you hitting, like, double black diamonds? [00:39:28] Speaker B: Oh, no. Oh, no. Goodness. I'm on, like, the little bunny hills. [00:39:32] Speaker C: You weren't going snowboarding. [00:39:33] Speaker B: I mean, it. It finally clicked. So snowboarding is one of those where, I mean, for me, anyway, it didn't click right away. Once it clicks it. It kind of sets in and you figure out, you know, your toes and your heels. But until then, I mean, you can hurt yourself. [00:39:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:48] Speaker C: Back to his quote earlier, you just gotta be an athlete. [00:39:50] Speaker B: That's true. I mean, he's a hockey player. He's used to being on. On skates and all that. So he probably just gets up and goes. [00:39:56] Speaker C: But he clicked in mine. I clicked in mine. I was really good right out of the gate. [00:40:00] Speaker A: Took me two hours. [00:40:01] Speaker B: I legit have sat down on my snowboard at the top of a Breckenridge mountain and just sledded down when I just had gotten frustrated enough. And then it clicked. And then I was able to, you know, kind of. Kind of do the Z back and forth down the mountain. You handle it. [00:40:19] Speaker C: And that's where I think a lot of people up early on is the fact that they aren't, like, aggressive, like somewhat Aggressive with their moves. And if you. If you're kind of timid on a snowboard, next thing you know, you get zipping down fast. Then you just eat. [00:40:30] Speaker B: And I don't have great knees. That's a. That's a podcast on its own, but I don't have great knees, so. [00:40:37] Speaker A: So down, Megan. Right? Yeah, so. [00:40:39] Speaker B: So, I mean, even, like, you know. Yeah. The funniest thing that you probably ever watch would be, you know, me on a snowboard trying to come off of the lift chair, you know, that is. [00:40:51] Speaker A: You want to know the key? [00:40:52] Speaker B: Just watch that all day. [00:40:53] Speaker A: Long foot, man, you stick it right in front of that binding, and if you stick it right there, you don't stick it on the other side. Stick it closest to that back binding and you won't fall. People have like pads and stuff too, for that, but I don't. I'm trying to get one of those self clickers because I don't want to be spending my time latching myself in. I kind of like. I want to try and hit the park. That'll be the first thing that I do when I go out there is hit all the rails and stuff because I. It looks easy on the videos. I know it's probably not. So I want to kind of, you know, embarrass myself. [00:41:24] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:41:25] Speaker C: Will you take guitar and everything? You go play music out there at all. Are you just going out for Strictly Fun? [00:41:31] Speaker A: It'll be both, so. But we're gonna hit some shows. I got a female that I've kind of been talking to for the last couple, you know, weeks. Issue goes to Wyoming. [00:41:39] Speaker B: Are we announcing, you know, anything on the podcast today or. [00:41:43] Speaker A: No, no, She's. She's a friend. She. She looks out for me. She tells me what I'm doing in my life that I shouldn't be doing, and she kind of keeps me straight. She's. She's cool, man. She's very honest and. Yeah, just all around. Just super, super cool, super fun to be around and, you know, but she's going to help get me a show out and, you know, Wyoming, hopefully. And then Justin's gonna get me some shows in Denver because he played there for a bunch of years. And we're gonna just go around, do our own little thing. I might have to sing some blues or some indie, but, you know, I. I'll sing whatever, you know, I like country music, but I'll sing whatever, you know, so. [00:42:20] Speaker B: So let's talk about tailgate and tall boys. [00:42:23] Speaker A: Yeah, man. [00:42:24] Speaker B: So you got the phone Call or an email, text, whatever it was. [00:42:28] Speaker A: Actually, it was ducks, believe it or not. [00:42:29] Speaker B: Really. [00:42:30] Speaker A: I was sitting in there watching a basketball game and Wayne come up to me and he was like, hey, I need to tell you something. And he pulled me over to this table with like this large buffet of wings and he was like, you're playing tailgate and tall boys this year. And I was like, dude, there's no way. Like. And last year, dude, I got a funny story about that because last year I went to this big old tailgate. It was like at tailgate, I was camping out and I was at shout out to the people with the two trailers. You know who you are if you're watching this podcast at all, you guys are loved. And you guys threw some banging parties last year. Camping out. Which I will be camping out again. [00:43:03] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. [00:43:04] Speaker A: All I remember is Bailey Zimmerman came out to this party. Party. And I came after he left. He like left on this golf cart. Everyone had already gone over there to see him and hang out with him and his brother stuck around and played Pong against my friend or something like that. And so I go over there and Wayne's over there with some people and he comes up to me and you know, I. I don't know if he'd been drinking or. I. I really don't know. And I'm not gonna say that on the podcast. So, you know, don't maybe, maybe edit that one out. [00:43:33] Speaker C: You know, don't edit that out. [00:43:35] Speaker A: No, no, I like Wayne. [00:43:37] Speaker C: What time was it? [00:43:37] Speaker A: It night. Maybe two, three. Yeah, he might have been slightly doobied up, but you know, we. I like Wayne. [00:43:44] Speaker C: I like, we all love Wayne. [00:43:45] Speaker A: But anyways, so no, so he comes up to me, he's got like two joints in his hands. [00:43:50] Speaker C: There we go. [00:43:51] Speaker A: And he's like, hey man, Isaac, go grab your guitar. And I was like, cuz I had it on me, you know, like I keep it on. I was playing at campsites, just kind of, you know, around. And he was like, bro, grab your guitar. And I was like, no, no. Like cuz I hated. So in high school I would come out to parties and I was the guy who'd bring the guitar out to the parties and like kill the vibe. Like I'd start playing my guitar and you know, like my senior year at least so much to the fact to where I got the nickname rang it ain't dang from my late Camelot friends. And now it's like, it's the name of my private story on Snapchat. It's like I kind of just owned it. But I was known for killing parties by pulling out the guitar because the music would turn off and everyone would leave and be like, who is this kid playing? Whatever? Because I was really bad back then, so I just didn't want to do that. And he was telling me, he was like, well, dude, I'll pay you if you come and play. And I was like, all right, fine. And then after I get done, he's like, isaac, you're playing tailgate and tall boys next year. Hope you know that. And I was like, okay. He's hammered. He's not, you know, like, I'm not going to take that, you know, as ultimate truth, but I'm just going to hold in the back of my head. And I remember telling. I was drunk, too. And so I told my friend who I was staying with, I was like, bro, Wayne said, I'm playing tailgate next year. And I didn't think it was actually going to happen. And then ducks happen and found out we're playing. And, you know, I mean, it's just surreal. I mean, that's the first bucket list, you know, kind of notch that I want to slide off and music. And, you know, I've been going for, you know, four or five years now, and it's just crazy, you know, to be. To be. To have my name up there on the same list as some guys that I've been looking up to for years, guys that I've paid to go see in concert is just. It's very surreal, you know, and it's like CO Wetzel, you know. You know, Treaty Oak Revival, Cody Johnson, you know, I drove six hours. What, to see him in Cape Girardeau. [00:45:38] Speaker C: What day are you on? [00:45:39] Speaker A: Day one. So we're opening up for, what, Co Gavin and Old 60. Like, just a monster list, like. [00:45:46] Speaker B: So you're. You're. Thursday night in Bloomington. Yeah, Thursday night in Bloomington. [00:45:51] Speaker C: Tall Boys, June 12th. [00:45:53] Speaker A: Because I'm the first. I'm like. I'm like, popping the cherry the whole festival. [00:45:57] Speaker C: Three, like, gates open, three, 4pm yeah. [00:45:59] Speaker A: Like, I'm popping the cherry the whole festival, which is kind of intimidating. [00:46:03] Speaker C: That is crazy. [00:46:03] Speaker A: But I did that way. I did it for Back Roads. Yeah, we played Galva. Big festival. I opened for Lone Star, Diamond Rio and Trace Atkins. And I was the first act of the entire festival, too. So. Which. That was. That was nuts. [00:46:17] Speaker C: Wayne's found. I mean, Wayne has found a, you know, liking for you because I remember, you know, he's brought your name up a Bunch of different times. Hey, by the way, Isaac Durst is going to open for whoever. Hey, Isaac. I'm like, who the fuck is this Isaac Durst dude? I'm like, I don't blame him. No, no, no, no. I didn't know at the time, but Wayne just kept bringing you up of like, hey, Isaac Durst. This. And. But it also, I think it goes to you messaging Wayne, staying on top of it, because that. That is one that is not easy. Because that, man, you know, as far as responding back and getting to it, where I mean, I'm in group text with multiple people that they reach out to us, I put them in contact, and then I'm like, this is now your opportunity. And I mean, people are constantly, hey, still haven't heard back. When can I open a show? Hey, when can I play cruisins? When can I play cruisins? And so for you to do that, to grab his attention, I mean, dude, that's. [00:47:08] Speaker A: It's just being annoying, man. Like, I texted, dude, I messaged Wayne about Zach. Top two months straight. Two months straight, like, every day, pretty much. Or at least every week, texting him, hey, man, I want to open for Zach. Like, how do I open for Zach? Blah, blah. Until it finally got to the point where he was like, okay, I'll message his team and see if you can. And then, thankfully, I was able to, you know, same with Sammy Kershaw. I was like, sammy Kershaw came into town. I was like, dude, like, you know, Cadillac style. Like, I grew up on that, you know? So, like, I want to open. I did the same with Paul Cawthon. I mean, I kind of laid off the horn with that because I'm assuming Paul's got his own guys. But my good buddy's a huge Paul Cawthon fan, so I was like, it'd be really cool to open for Paul. [00:47:47] Speaker C: But you got to do that because at the end of the day, you message a couple times, you get told no. Weeks go by in our eyes. You know, now I'm like, hey, they need an opener. You're out of sight, out of mind. [00:47:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:47:57] Speaker C: And. But if you just text a day before, you're the first name that's going to come up of, hey, we need somebody kind of short. And that's how that stuff always happens. So props to you, honestly, doing that. And it takes a lot because you do. You have to be just annoying as fuck. [00:48:12] Speaker A: Well, just how much do you want it? You know? And, I mean, this is all I've ever wanted. You know, it's all, you know, people have told me in the past, you know, you should probably stick to music because that's, you know, that's what you're good at, you know, and when it comes to jobs, like, I've lost a job because I was bad at doing it. Like, dude, you should just stick to music. [00:48:27] Speaker B: So I've got a similar story, too. Real quick that. So I had met you, but didn't know that you were Isaac Durst. I know known your name from, you know, my son met you at Guitar Singer one time and, and we talked about that off camera. You know, he was talking about Isaac Durst, and I was like, I. I don't know if I've ever seen Isaac Durst or know who he is. Well, come to find out, I was here for the night. Sevy was here, who's a friend of ours and been on the podcast before. [00:48:54] Speaker A: Nut Singer. [00:48:55] Speaker B: And yeah, just has a shout out. [00:48:56] Speaker A: Sevy. [00:48:57] Speaker B: Yeah, shout out. Amazing. [00:48:58] Speaker A: Sevy, you're awesome. [00:48:59] Speaker B: We love Sevy. Hope hopefully he's back here in Peoria before too long as well. After Sevy show, I think we were getting ready to go over to Ducks or do something, you know, across the street, and your truck's right there and. And you and Sevy are sitting legit. [00:49:14] Speaker C: The. [00:49:14] Speaker B: The whole thought of the Tailgate beers concept happened right there in the middle of the parking lot. We've got Farmington Road here. We've got cars flying by us. You and Sevy were sitting on the tailgate, essentially, or eventually got your. Your acoustics out. You guys are just playing songs together. You're taking. Taking turns on. On choruses. And then, then I find out probably a month later, oh, yeah, that's Isaac Durst. And so I put, you know, face to name and all of that, but that was just a fun, amazing opportunity. I'm sure I had a bunch, you know, for all of us just to sit there and stand around. There was probably six or seven of us just sitting there listening. [00:49:51] Speaker A: I think Evan was there a couple other people. I mean, I'm not big on the whole social media. I'm terrible at posting at social media. My apologies, by the way, if my Facebook followers or TikTok or anybody out there seeing this video. I'm terrible at posting videos, you know, and terrible at posting content. I'm just. I get lazy, you know. But when it comes to connections, the biggest success I've had is showing up to shows, talking to the guys before at soundcheck, being like, hey, man, I'm a local artist, you know, I've been doing this for a couple years now. I'd love to jam with you after the show. You know, just. I'd love to get to know how you did, how you got into this, you know, the pros and the cons of, you know, and kind of the struggles that you've gone through over the years. I mean, that's what happened with Braxton Keith. I was at that show in Boondocks in Springfield. Shout out Braxton Keith. Real quick. B.K. you're. You're awesome, man. I was at that show when I met some musician who opened for me at the Christmas show and we jammed at. On his tailgate after the show and I was playing my original song Bouquet and Braxton like stopped what he was doing, came over and listened and I was like, hey man, like, would you, you know, play a song with me? And we played, you know, we. We cut. Don't close your eyes. Keith Whitley posted on social media and now it's sitting on, I think what, 60, 60k, maybe 70k views, 10k likes. I mean, it's been probably my best video that I posted in, you know, years. And it's. It's just like, it's little stuff like that getting context. I did it with Ben Chapman when he played here at Cruisins two years ago. We played Lady May after the show. Sevy, another name. [00:51:25] Speaker B: You were at Austin Snell too? I think I saw you here. [00:51:27] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I was there for a little bit. I. I kind of left because I got too drunk and which. That's another issue, man. I. I need to calm it on the drink and I'm not, you know, the smartest when it comes to all that. But that's. [00:51:42] Speaker B: That's happens to all of us. [00:51:43] Speaker A: Oh yeah, but dude, if. I mean, I don't want to interrupt y'all. I'm just. I'm a. I'm a talker. I yap. I guess the deal with me as a. As a musician and I'll come to say I'm not the most country person and I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be honest, you know, open and authentic. I like to fish. You know, I'm trying to get into hunting. I. My pawpaw and my uncle, they. They were big hunters, you know, My uncle moved away before I could ever learn and my paw paw lost his memory, so I didn't get to learn any of that stuff. But deer, my. My cousin in law is a big waterfowl hunter. Weston Munger Shout out if you're watching this video. Dude, I love you, man. You're awesome. And probably one of the badass, most badass hunters slash fishermen that I've ever met. My life that this dude is raking him in. He's just awesome. And he taught me. He's actually supposed to teach me how to fly fish here in the next couple years, but he's just awesome. [00:52:40] Speaker B: From our Colorado, we got some great places out there. Do that. [00:52:44] Speaker A: Well, my great grandpa was a big fly fisher. He'd make his own lures. But, yeah, back to what it is, man. I'm just trying to make my family proud, make my grandpa proud. He used to hate it when I called him grandpa. He's like, don't call me grandpa. Call me Pawpaw. Like, he just hated it. He'd always call me Izzy. Like, he'd say, is he a boy or is he a girl? When I was younger and just kind of gave me shit, and I, you know, I love him. I miss him. He passed away and 2020, and that was. That was rough. But, you know, from someone. He lost his memory and was in the nursing home, and, you know, an Alan Jackson tune came on the radio, and he, you know, remembered the song as Far as My Memory Goes. And it was just, you know, it's just nuts to me how country music and just music in general can jog someone's memory. And for someone like him who loved, you know, music so much, I'm just here to make him proud, and I'm here to make my family proud, and I'm here to carry on the family tradition. Even though he wasn't a gigging musician like I am, I feel like, you know, my big thing with being a country fan and a country musician is I want to keep country as pure as possible, because he listened to the purest of country and, you know, so I'm not here to say that I'm some big, you know, redneck and all this other stuff. I'm just a kid that, you know, grew up in the suburbs for the most part, who loves country music, who's just trying to do his papa proud. And, you know, that's. That's what I want everyone to know from this podcast is I don't claim to be countryer than you. I don't claim to be countryer than this person or that person. I'm just trying to make my family proud and enjoy it, you know, so that's. That's a big part of. About what I do and why I do It. [00:54:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:54:27] Speaker C: Fuck. Here's the. [00:54:30] Speaker A: Papa. Steve, right? Yep. [00:54:32] Speaker C: Thanks for doing this, dude. Right, That's. It's a lot to see, you know, people you love like that go. And especially, you know, you were younger, but, you know, knowing that then they, you know, go into the nursing home. They're not the same, you know, dealing with that. [00:54:46] Speaker A: But, I mean, he had it coming too. [00:54:48] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:48] Speaker A: But dude, we, as much as I. [00:54:50] Speaker C: Love him, we appreciate you playing here. We appreciate all the work you've been putting in. And I mean, I hope, I hope someday you're again. You started off, you know, first time played, sold X amount of tickets. And you know, here. And hopefully even this year after tailgate, maybe you sell 300 tickets. [00:55:06] Speaker A: We got to get that up around here. Because that's been an issue too, selling tickets. We don't get a lot of people out to shows just like, man, am I really that bad? Like, no, I think it's a process. [00:55:17] Speaker B: So we talked about that with lots of artists even come here, Paul Cawthon. [00:55:21] Speaker C: Which, by the way, I was just looking. So, I mean, we gotta remind way. I mean, he does not have an opener. [00:55:26] Speaker A: No, he doesn't. Wayne. Wayne. Let me all. Let me open for Mr. Cocaine Country Dancing, please. [00:55:32] Speaker C: This is gonna drop three days before. [00:55:34] Speaker A: Please. [00:55:35] Speaker C: Paul Cawthon. But all I'm saying is let's follow up. Definitely not tonight, but follow up tomorrow. On it. But there's a guy who, the first time he played. How many tickets do you think Paul Cawthon sold? [00:55:46] Speaker A: Shoot, probably not a lot. I mean, Tyler Childers is playing bars of what, 10, five, maybe two people. [00:55:52] Speaker C: Like one ticket. A couple, like one ticket. And then the next time he sold it out. [00:55:57] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I just don't know what my success is going to be. And at the end of the day, as much as I would love success in this industry, I'm kind of scared to get it because I'm not prepared. I'm not mentally there. And with fame comes stress. And I've heard a lot of horror stories from people that weren't ready and it hit them and they couldn't handle it. You know, I mean, I, I was in, you know, a management group with a guy that was, you know, on his bedside with a 9 millimeter to his head because he couldn't handle it, you know, like. And I've, I've heard the stories. I've, I've, I've talked to people that it just. It's more real than you think it is. It's not just Entertainment. [00:56:35] Speaker C: I really think just keeping a good group around you and this is. This could be said in, like, life now where you're at, or later have friends that will look at you, go, hey, man, you're being a fucking idiot. Like, hey, I don't care who you are, dude. I. You know, you need to be careful. You know, I think that's sometimes why him and I are such, you know, you know, good friends, you know, maybe yesterday to me, and literally, like, seriously, like, hey, I've been there, and I do some dumb shit. I mean, me and Wayne get into some serious shit. But I think having friends that will really, truly look at you and a team, no matter how big you get, having those friends looking be like, hey, dude, you're not that big. Don't be an idiot. Yeah, at the end of the day, don't say racial slurs, don't throw chairs, and you'll probably be fine, man. [00:57:20] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, we should probably. We should probably cut that one out anyways. No, it's. It's. [00:57:27] Speaker C: No, dude, just be again, be who you are and just loving it, dude. Enjoy the ride. I think it's even comparable to, like, having kids or a job or where you're at. Just enjoy the moment in each chapter of where you're at. [00:57:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:39] Speaker C: The stress that comes with it, and I don't know, I think it's just fine. [00:57:43] Speaker A: It's weird being in a place to where I know a lot of people that have made it and know a lot of people that are doing the thing or, you know, or some of the biggest. Like, I. I got some people on my phone that are at the top of country music right now, but no one knows who the hell I am. So it's like, it doesn't matter, but it's like, it's just cool to see how small your network gets in music and country music in general. Like, people that you think are so far reach or maybe one connection away, you know, and that's. That's the cool thing about this industry is, you know, I could play a tailgate and some agent sees me and, you know, the next week I'm out on tour opening up for someone, which, that would be awesome. Booking agents or, you know, tour managers. If you're listening to this, I definitely need one right now. So help a brother out. [00:58:29] Speaker C: Make it happen. [00:58:30] Speaker A: Yeah, but I. I just. I love it, man. I. You know, I haven't wanted anything more than I've wanted this, and I've been doing it for five, six years now, and it's just putting in the work and starting to see the work finally you know, pay off. And it hasn't paid off all the way, but it's starting to show its, you know, colors, I guess. [00:58:51] Speaker B: Tailgate beers. Austin and Ryan here. We've been sitting down with Isaac Durst here from Peoria, Illinois, somebody that's certainly involved in the music scene in central Illinois. Branching out from there, playing tailgate and tall boys. We learned a lot about you. And really, Austin and I both want to thank you for spending the time with us, but then also talking about some of the vulnerable stuff and the conversations we've had today. And really what drives you, Family man. Living on some legacies there, which are, I mean, just gut wrenching, but also at the same time, you know, things that. That make you. You. So I think we do a cheers here. We've got our White Oak Brewing. Yep. [00:59:37] Speaker A: Oh, I don't have one of those. [00:59:39] Speaker B: That's all right. [00:59:40] Speaker A: Surfside. [00:59:40] Speaker B: But. But yeah, I am also provide some. Some beers to us on set as well. So I'm gonna give a shout out to them. [00:59:47] Speaker A: Shout out Coors Banquet, too, as well. [00:59:48] Speaker B: There you go. [00:59:49] Speaker A: It's my beer of choice, if you love. If any venues are seeing this right now, and I somehow get some type of start. I do like Coors Banquet. [00:59:57] Speaker B: There you go. There you go. [00:59:58] Speaker A: My beer of choice. They actually ship it over here sometimes when I play from ducks just so I can have some. [01:00:03] Speaker B: I'm sure we'll. They'll figure that out. [01:00:05] Speaker A: It makes me feel like a king, you know? [01:00:08] Speaker B: Well, thank you. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for sitting down and spending the time. Looking forward to seeing you on stage tonight. [01:00:13] Speaker A: Hey, man, I'm excited. [01:00:15] Speaker B: Absolutely. [01:00:16] Speaker A: Thank you once again for having me, y'all. [01:00:18] Speaker B: Thank you.