553. - Dave 1 (Chromeo)

All right, this episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Stateside with Kai and Carter, a new podcast from The Guardian. And they are using this podcast to slow down the news and wrestle with the questions that we all have about what's happening in the world. And they do it three times a week, Jason. Does that sound familiar to you? We don't really talk about, you know, a lot of international global news items and climates and cultures and sports and things like that. We do talk about fashion and wellness, but for everything else, Kai and Carter are a great place. All right, so who couldn't use more news? Listen wherever you get your podcast. or watch on YouTube. Oh, what's up, bitch? What's up, bitch? What's up, bitch? How you feeling? I was feeling good until I got called the B word thrice in the first eight seconds of the show, but... I'm feeling all right. We're one hour early than normal for our guest today, which is already killing my vibe. But if he delivers, then, I mean, if they deliver, then all will be forgiven. No pressure. I didn't know an hour could throw you off like that. I know you're a real kind of creature of habit, but even an hour. It's smack dab in my gym window. Where I'm not able to really enjoy myself. I see. Have you thought about getting up earlier? But the problem is the dog walking. Well, I mean, I thought the whole point of living with someone is that they do that if you can't. Co-parenting. Co-parenting, I mean. I thought that was the whole idea is that you kind of share the responsibility. Yeah, I mean. We could have this whole conversation. I mean, this conversation could take the entire episode if we really want to. Maybe we should wait for our guest, a fellow partnered partner. Well, I've heard about, actually, I know that he used to be, like me, a dog hater and has now been turned. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, so we can talk about this. Do you have that on your notes?

No, I was talking to Ryland earlier about a little intel, and he was like, you know, what's funny is he represents both you and Jason, not only in the New York, L.A. way, but also in the way that he used to not be a dog guy, and now he's a big dog guy. So apparently you just have to meet the dog for you. So much like Jason, I guess there's no good way to put it, became a dog lover for a little piece of pussy. Well, I think maybe, yes. I mean, I think... We'll do something strange. I like that you've done that. We'll do a little piece of change. You've done that for a few different pieces of change, which we don't have to talk about. Thank God I edit this podcast. I have a final say. Oh, God. I couldn't help myself. No, no, no. But it's true. It's true. But, I mean, that's what it really all boils down to is just the right partner. And when I say a piece of pussy, that... There's a blanket statement that covers anyone who may have to possibly do something in their relationship that they normally wouldn't do because you love the other person or you care about the other person or they want something bad enough that you are willing to... I love compromise, personally. I don't think you do. That's not true. I love compromising. I'm really good at it, especially in our relationship. People who love compromising don't say that sentence. I love compromising, by the way. Maybe that's true, but I didn't need you to point that out. People who are giving sociopathy are, though. I sent you something earlier to the group chat about hats. Hats. Literary hats. People are wearing female authoresses. TJ voice names on a dad hat embroidered. Is it, is it females only though? Or do they have fellows on? Yes. Okay. No, it's female. It's females only. Okay. So like basically you roll up to, you know, you roll up to the bar and your date is wearing a Zadie Smith hat. Does that almost guarantee that you're not going to score? Or do you like, what do you think? How bad do you think this is? Like, how bad can it be?

Like if you show up and your chick got on a Rachel Cusk hat? I don't even know who that is. If I'm on a hypothetical first date and I meet somebody at a local Brooklyn cafe where I'm not allowed to bring my tripod anymore, which I just think is fucking stupid, but I'm being set up and the person who is wearing the hat is wearing a hat of an authoress that I am familiar with. We'll call it a Zadie Smith. It will raise an eyebrow, but I will look at it as a challenge accepted scenario because in my mind, any woman who would be wearing a hat like that is not going to really be into whatever type of shit I'm going to be shoveling them for the next hour and a half. So to me, it's just like, you know, let's see if I could bowl a 300 game or like, let's see if I could pull off a 900 Tony Hawk style, whatever it may be. Okay. Well, I can't wait. I would love for you to... It's like an exhibition match. None of this matters anymore because of that. I would love to walk into Kitchen Mouse in Highland Park and see a fella in his car hearts and, you know, Blundstones kind of trying to chat up a beautiful young woman and a Joyce Carol Oates. kind of beautiful white dad hat. That's what dreams are made of. Is this the female equivalent of the man bringing a book to read alone at a bar? Yes. Also, though, I think everyone knows this, and it's true. Not everyone can pull off the hat. You know what I mean? It's like you have to find your style. You know, it's a tough thing to figure out. Most of these fucking chicks look like Dan Keaton wearing this hat. You know what I mean? That's what I'm saying. I think that, like, you have to be careful wearing the hat, not only by what it projects to possible suitors, male, female, or otherwise, but also how it fits the shape of your melon. Because traditionally, you know, men have been able to throw in a cap to cover up.

our hair or lack thereof, et cetera, et cetera. Women have embraced this trend, obviously, in the modern time, which is something I really support, unless you're pulling up in the supreme new era. Then we have a problem. What if you're pulling up in the bad hair day snapback? I saw one of those at the gym yesterday, and I was like, oh, damn. The bad hair day snapback. Well, I saw a funny hat thing today at the gym, too, that I tweeted about. I saw a guy in good shape, but he was wearing a new era bucket hat. but flipped up okay um you mean you got it for the visibility purposes i guess i don't know i think for swag purposes but i think maybe also visibility purposes but i was like what do you he was pretty buff good looking i mean he was obviously wearing some viore joggers so he needed some help but I was like, this is, I've never seen, in all my years of going to the gym, I have never seen somebody wearing a bucket hat to lift weights. Especially, quote, getting after it, right? Not just kind of there to stretch and take photos and stuff. But somebody who seemed to be putting in dull work. Yeah, he kind of had a, like a, yeah, he had a kind of southern vibe, mustache, but good looking, buff. Like, you know, I would hit, but I was just surprised by that choice. This seems like your version of the challenge accepted. So when I was saying I go on a blind date hypothetically, the Zadie Smith hat pops up, and I'm like, okay, let's go. Same thing for you. Like, can I turn this bucket boy? And, you know, if I could do this, then anything's possible kind of thing. Anything is possible. That's true. Because you said he was hot. So it's like, did you feel a little I can change him? Or it was like the fact that he needs to be changed is why I'm hard. Like, there's a lot of layers to this shallot. I was more thinking, why did you do this? How did you come to this decision? Is this your only hat? How bad is what's underneath the hat? What's the significance of the flip-up? What's the significance of the flip-up? Unless you're going kind of Mayim Bialik style, I was confused by this choice. But nothing's more confusing than pulling up.

to a Brooklyn cafe and sitting across from your hinge date in a Lydia Davis hat. We do have a guest today. And this one's been a little bit of a long time coming, hasn't it, Jason? Actually, I don't really know. I don't meddle in the bookings. Well, I mean, we have a relationship. We know this person. You know what I mean? Yeah, I am friends with him, and you are too. We're friends with him, and he is one half of the duo Chromio. You may know him as Dave One, the St. Laurent. funk lord the celine wearing saint laurent don't yeah the i mean former professor at columbia turned funk lord um chromio has been uh obviously beasting for literally years like since because we're probably peers with with dave like age wise yeah i saw i saw a recent post that they this is like their 20th or 30th anniversary or something like that really i mean they've been they've been playing together since they were like teenagers so yeah no it's it's really impressive to have that long of a run brother of fellow turntable lists a track trenzel as i like to refer to him yes um just two titan french speaking titans uh from our friend to the north yeah um but yeah i'm excited to get into with him because i know he's we have a lot in common he's new york la the dog stuff we talked about former uh former vice magazine early early guy at vice magazine i want to hear some vice stories i want to hear some hashtag yes yes tour life stories i mean let's not let's not yeah of course and also He's a Burbank kind of aficionado. I know he doesn't live there, but his studio is there. His lab, the funk lab is there. The funk lab, the funk lair is in Burbank. And I bet, I don't know how much funk has come from Burbank, but we're going to find out today. Let's give Dave Warren a call, get into all of this and more. This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by a new podcast from The Guardian stateside with Kai and Carter. This is covering a lot of our bases, Jason. It's trying to slow down.

The news and wrestle with the questions we all have about what's happening in the world. And I know you particularly have quite a lot of questions. A lot of questions. But how often? Because we do this podcast three times a week and that's a sweet spot. How many times do they do? Three times a week. And I have a feeling just based on the platform and these talking points that they're maybe going to be covering different stuff than we do. That's just a guess. The Guardian is not some billionaire owned. They're not afraid to say what they want to say, brother. Yeah, Rupert ain't sniffing around in what journalists Kai Wright and Carter Sherman are up to over there at Stateside. But yeah, listen wherever you get your podcasts. You can watch it on YouTube. It's three times a week. And who couldn't use more news? You know, especially when it's not, you know, from here, let's say. Give it a listen. Give it a listen. All right, this episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Quince. Jason, the temps are warming up. It's getting hot out there. Summer always changes how I get dressed. I need pieces that feel lighter, more breathable, and that are just easy but still put together. I don't want to look like a slob. That's why I keep coming back to Quince. They focus on high-quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Breathable linen and soft organic cottons. Well-made basics but without the luxury markups. That rare balance where everything feels elevated. but still effortless. Yeah, Chris, linen season is here. I wore a linen blazer to dinner a few nights ago in the warm California sun. But, you know, you got that Italy trip coming up this summer and quality European linen pants and shirts. Upgrade that look starting at just $34. You know, if you get a nice linen suit, a little t-shirt underneath it, some chill shoes, you're looking good, but you're staying cool. The inside of your special areas are nice and dry as you turn up with your besties. So elevate that summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com slash how long for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns, even on a nice holiday now available in Canada.

That is Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash how long. That'll get you free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash how long. All right. All right. How long gone? We're here with Dave. One, thank you for joining us. Are you coming to us from the lair in Burbank? No, no. I'm on tour currently. I'm in Atlanta, Georgia. You're in my hometown in a Hyatt Regency, it looks like. How's it going? Basically, yeah, it kind of looks like that, doesn't it? Nominally better, but I'm actually going to – I think I'm going to move back to the high-end – we just see a caliber of hotels because nowadays boutique hotels, they've banned all the room service. You know, like they – you've got Postmates and stuff. So I'm going to go back to like old-school hotels where I know there's 24-hour Caesar salads. Yeah, no, no. This is something we talk about all the time. I need an awful club sandwich at 4 a.m., and that's just how it is. So, okay, I have a lot of questions, I guess. Let's go. You don't seem like the room service kind of guy, first of all. See, you guys have a misconception about me, I think. And that's why you're on this show. Yeah. That's why I got to get into it now. Wow, what is, whoa. That was strange. He drinks a gallon of milk every day. No, it's just water. I'm just, you know. You got the jug on deck. This is every day. It's the only way to keep it measured correctly. Yeah, we have a lot of misconceptions about you. All of your conceptions about us are correct, though. They're just conceptions. I've got no conception. Okay, no conception. Yeah, so I'm a big... No, I'm a huge room service kind of guy. You guys think I'm bougie, right? So you think I'm like out here like, you know, this is the only water in the room, of course. And I'm like Postmates-ing from like the only like French restaurant in Atlanta and then calling them back because the Bayarnaise is cold. None of this is true. None of this is true. Well, you are wearing a suit. In a hotel room in the afternoon. Yeah, but this is my version of me playing into it. You know what I mean? Yes, of course. I was either going to do the Puff Daddy Rogue or the suit. Oh, that would have been nice. But then I was like, I'm going to wear this for the meet and greet later, so I just might as well wear it. But yes, I'm playing into the stereotype with that one. But I'm not surprised. I'm not actually – I mean, as a fellow member of the bourgeoisie, I would never judge on something like that.

I would say that you've been touring so long that you've learned what works for you, and that's why you have to pick your battles as far as food goes. I don't like Postmates. I do not like Uber Eats. I don't like Postmates. In that case, the food really comes in cold, and it's like I don't like it. I like room service. I love chicken wings. I love Caesar salads. I love, like, you know, just their generic chicken. I like it. It's really comforting to me. A house-made club? Love a house-made club. So that's what it is. It's the comforting is what I think the connection for you is. Yeah, it's also delicious. It's also really good. Okay. I mean, it's weird. It's weird that, you know, like, I mean, not to get into music and stuff, but, like, it's weird. Like, you guys have known me or, you know, we've been in similar circles for so long. But, you know, with my work, It's like always been this highbrow, lowbrow thing. But then when people think about me, they just keep the highbrow like that. Look, as if I'm not, you know what I'm saying? I would say that's a positive overall. I would say a lot of that can be chalked up to the fact that you are in a duo where one person, it's different now, but in the original days. You were wearing the fancy tailored suits, and he was kind of dressed a little more casually and hip-hop-y. So the roles were more clearly defined. And kind of the same thing for Chris and I. I'm a little bit of a lowlife, and he thinks that he's a little bit more of a bourgeoisie member. He thinks that. I wore a Gorilla Biscuit shirt today to kind of keep it real with the audience. Yeah, because we all know that the shirt is the token of realness, of course. That's obviously what it is. Exactly. That's why I spend all the money on these shirts. This shirt, unfortunately, costs as much as your shirt. Exactly. Having the skateboard over your shoulder. How are you doing, fellow kids? What's up, fellow children? So I didn't know you guys were on tour right now. Is this a big one or is it kind of some spot dates? No, no, it's a big one. It's like five weeks, six weeks, five weeks in the U.S., and then we go to Australia for a week. So, yeah, it's our first. Wait, when are you going to be in Australia? Sorry to interrupt. Last week of October.

Oh, funny you said that. That makes two of us, David. How long gone live in Melbourne? Nice. We're going to be in Melb the 28th, and then we go to Sydney until like November 3rd. Yeah, I feel like I'm in Melb the same day. Are you playing a festival? Yeah. What's it called? Harvest. Harvest Fest. Harvest Fest. Harvest Fest. Harvest Fest. That sounds like... Okay. Well, we can link for some AVO or something. Yeah, I would love to link it on Australia. That's cool. I guess that you guys... Do you guys stay in a hotel every night? So, again, this is going to play into the stereotype. I'm the only one who stays in the hotel. P loves the bus. Loves the bus. But this is also because I'm 6'4". Loves the bus. No, he loves it. He truly loves it. You have to see his bunker. And I call it a bunker. It's not a bunk. This guy's got Christmas lights. He's got a dry erase board. He's got Ralph Lauren sheets. Dry erase board? He's got a dry erase board in his bunk with Christmas lights. I mean, he just loves it. Me, I don't like it because... A, I'm too tall. B, the reality is the bus leaves very late and you end up falling asleep at 4 a.m. And if I've got to do my little singing, you know, sort of like prancing thing, I like to be in bed by like midnight one latest. Sure. I wake up at nine, catch a flight, read The Economist. show up at work like that's like my sort of like sanity thing okay but he's he's not on this bus alone because you guys have other members i just want i just want to imagine that he's alone on a bus yeah hypothetically i love that idea and then you're you're in the delta lounge of the economist yeah you sniff you smell the croissant throw it away i don't i don't fly i don't i don't fly delta but yes i'm in a lounge well that's your first that's your first mistake air canada but i don't fly air canada go on Private? No. I don't like Delta. Anyway, go on. Your partner, the crew, maybe some auxiliary musicians, they're on the bus, and you stay in a hotel and fly to every show and meet them there. Yes. This is very cool. I've never heard of it. It's kind of like when the old married couple is sleeping in separate rooms kind of thing. We still love each other. We're rocking, but we need a little space.

That's exactly what it is. You guys have spent a lot – you've spent more time with him, with P, than anyone in your life, right? Anyone in my life. Yeah, 30 years. 30 years talking every day. Yeah, that is quite – an impressive run but that is crazy this is so is this something that obviously this requires a certain level of success to do because it costs more money etc but like have you been doing this for a while and you realize it worked for you or is this something you yeah no i started doing that in like 2010 i did like the first couple of tours where we had a bus i did them on the bus and i i wasn't sleeping and like i couldn't sleep in the bunk and like the ac was messing me up and like i wouldn't fit and it was crazy and then i was taking like ambient to fall asleep It sucked. So then I was like – at first I paid for my own flights and hotels. And then luckily like the budgets were better that we could factor it in. No, that's great. I think it's smart to prioritize your health because I would be – I think I'm – In a similar, I would do the same thing. If that was an option to me, I would absolutely do the same thing. I don't understand. People romanticize the bus and the whole thing. Some people like it. Some people like it. It just doesn't work for me. But, you know, sometimes a couple of nights. per tour where you don't have flights direct flights because there's got we have a whole system it has to be a direct flight so there's gonna be a connection then i'd rather take the bus but so sometimes you know if you go play bonnaroo on a tour stop you can't fly there easily so then i'll be on the bus and that one night is like the funny slumber party it's fine yeah yeah oh look who decided to come slum it yeah yeah exactly exactly hey hollywood you know what's really cute hollywood you know what's really cute is that p keeps a bunk for me in the event and it's next to his It's next to his. That's nice. He puts all his equipment in there, like whatever's in surplus. He's so cute. So every night, you know, I've got my little leather jacket. And when I finish playing, it's kind of moist or drippy with sweat. He puts it in my bunk for it to dry. He's got a whole system. And nobody can touch my bunk. Oh, my God. Yeah, it's really cute. It's very adorable. This is like when the kid dies in high school and the parents preserve the room with all the stuff, all the posters.

Just in case. I was thinking of less morbid analogies. I didn't need to go dead. Let's say he's gone off to university. Yeah, there you go. He's gone off to university. After touring for this many years and all these different times, what are you... Nowadays, I guess in 2023, what do you have to do to make your tour shine and stand out and be new and different than it was before as we have to kind of keep... reinventing ourselves every album cycle, right? The show, there's not a lot of jamming and improvisation or anything like that. I compare our show to like a figure skating routine where you perfect it and we perfect all the bells and whistles and the lighting cues and the track order and what's going to get the best reaction out of the crowd. And from city to city, you decide to put this song here, this song there, extend this one, put different cues. And after that, it's going to be the same exact thing. It's going to be the same show because once we nailed it, it's like you've got your figure skating routine. And then the only challenge becomes getting it perfect every night. And if we get it perfect every night, we did good. If there was a technical issue or I messed up a guitar solo or whatever, then the judges will give us a six. But I want to perfect the figure skating routine and get it dialed in. You want to stick the landing. Yeah, exactly. That's the challenge for us. And the desire to stick that landing is so great that you're able to. overlook any other improvisational things or spontaneous moments yeah that was never our thing i might say i mean the banter is a little more spontaneous of course and like just like sort of our our movements or whatever but like this it's never been the mandate of our band you know i i love this i'm i'm anti uh improvisation as well um and i find that every once in a while i'll go see somebody that i love and i'm like I didn't need the 15-minute version of this song. I really liked the three-and-a-half-minute version. Yeah, I think that's why in the early Strokes days, they shocked a lot of people because when you heard the show, it was exactly like the album. And I was in awe of that meticulousness, the discipline, the rigor, and the attention to detail. But that's the kind of person I am.

um yeah cartesian and sort of academic i just saw them recently and i'm very impressed that they're able to look as disinterested as they do and sound as good as they do it's an it's unbelievable how good they sound best rock and roll band of our generation it's it's crazy it really is crazy it really is i mean the goat you're over here smiling on stage like a fool You look like you want to be there? You look like you're enjoying yourself? I think it just works for them, and I've got my shtick that works for me. It's a performance, right? And then the other thing that people say is like, oh, my God, you're playing Coachella. Are you excited? I'm like, I'm so not excited. I'm stressed, number one. And number two, I mean, it's like the only thing that I could compare how I feel before I play a show would be like a chef in a restaurant. Okay. Before service. before service you're focused you're disciplined and you want to make sure everyone had the best experience or whatever right the best time the best experience once you know that you're happy until then you're going to be grumpy and focused and like kind of like really concentrated but like i'm not excited until i know it went well i'm i'm i'm actually deeply i could think of an array of emotions except for excitement that i'm going through i'm the same way Going from irritable bowel syndrome to grumpiness to jet lag to sleep, you know, but excitement, not so much. You've got Drake's disorder as well with the gastro issues. We're going to be taking a break. I put that on Instagram. I was like, this is medical proof of his Judaism. Judaism and Canadianism as well. Not to poo-poo our friends up north. Pun intended, but Canadians have IBS? Is that a thing? Or do you mean like the candor with which he talked about? I think Canadians are just generally soft, is I think what he's trying to say. Would you disagree? Not as many hot Cheetos and Takis are consumed in Vancouver than they are. No, but ketchup chips, vinegar in your fries. You guys never did vinegar in your fries. I used to pound a half a bottle in there. I guess it's real up there too. I used to pound. That's a real point of pride for you. I saw the excitement in your face when you thought about that vinegar hitting the French fried potato. Yeah, and I never noticed that was a British thing. We're Brits.

The malt vinegar. Yeah. I come down to the US and I was like, where's the vinegar? And they were like, what are you talking about, bro? Yeah, we don't. It was kind of a weird thing. There was a place I used to go to in Atlanta, actually, that had a vinegar French fry. And that was the first time I ever had it. And it was such a treat. I agree because I didn't know what that flavor. I was unfamiliar with that flavor. Bomb. Bomb flavor. Bomb flavor. Truly a bomb flavor. OK, so you don't really appear on podcasts ever. No. Or you've done a couple of them, right? Is that by design or just the way the card shuffled out? No, no, no, no, no. I love the format, and I wish I was invited to more. This is, I think, one of my first or maybe my first long-form one. Okay, well, look, Marin's going to call one day, and I'm glad you got to warm up with How Long Gone. You know, this is important. Yes, for all of us. But it's also good that you're, like, if you were to pull up your IMDb of podcast appearances, basically, like, you guys did a tiny desk concert and said, I'm out. That's not a podcast. It's available as a podcast, but still, I'm saying what you have done is impressive and top of the pops. Yeah, I think I did one, like a jam band comedy one at one point. I forget what it was called, but yeah, I haven't done that many. And I think this is my first Zoom one, but I'm glad we're starting at the top. That's right. I only brought that up because I was surprised to see it when I was researching on my Apple podcast. Because you seem like a guy who... would enjoy and excel. Yeah, you've got a lot to say. You've got opinions. And we've got shit to debunk. There's a lot to debunk. Because I remember somebody once was like, yo, on How Long Gone, they mentioned you and they said you have a mid-century teak menorah. And I was like, I'm going to have to bring that up. Is that true? Did you say that, Chris? I mean, maybe. I'll say kind of anything. I need to consider the source on this, Dave. This may have just been wishful thinking. Regardless of if I said it or not, I'm going to take credit for that because that's actually very funny. So I'm going to take all the credit for that. I don't remember exactly. Yeah, and so that's this whole misconception thing because like – well, first of all, it's also a little – maybe it's – I don't know if it's anti-Semitic, but it's borderline. But I'm okay with that. That's fine. It's not not. It's not not. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

see what you don't understand is that's coming from a place of respect and love is what i know because i think it's cool yes but i don't see me i like the one i like the paper the foil one that the hospice gives you at the bedford stop because i don't have one i like that one that's cool yeah well real or not real everybody's got he's got one but but yeah i think i think um But I wore the suit to play into the whole bougie thing. Well, Dave, we've seen the cribs. You know what I mean? We've seen the cribs. We're not pulling this out of our asses. You're spending the money on the furniture. You're doing all this stuff. And I respect it. Because is there a house in L.A. and New York? The house in L.A. now, I sold my own, and so me and Alain share that other one. And then my main place to stay, abode, is my apartment in New York. Yeah, and it's true. That's just what that is. It's kind of my hobby. Interiors are kind of my interior design or whatever, furniture. That's kind of like one of my hobbies. It's also, I mean, this is not, I'm not going to. de-bougify the claim. In fact, I might be digging my own grave here. But what had happened was when I was when I was an academic and I stopped being an academic, I felt like my world was so narrow. You know, I had spent like a decade and a half just studying like French literary criticism and I didn't really know much about anything else. So then I started teaching myself about, you know, whatever. interiors chairs chair designers whatever and and you know i i was at a place with my band where you know we i could i could um i could start collecting some of those things so yeah that that's kind of how you Are you buying all the time still and, like, rotating? Okay, you're not crazy. Once you finish, you finish. Yeah, once I finish, I finish. Or, you know, there might be one need for one little thing here and there. But usually I have, like, this – it's kind of funny. I have a rotation between, like, what's in my place. My brother and I were able to –

get our parents a little house in the country outside of Montreal. And so, and then to decorate it. So I put a bunch of like real cool kind of Brazilian stuff in there. I'm sure they, I'm sure they really appreciate it. Do they like it or do you like it? Dave, this is really uncomfortable, but it looks cool, I guess. I don't know. That's what my dad says. And then my mom says, no, no, David said we have to sit there. Your dad's like, I told him I don't know how to use a rotary mixer. Why did they put it in the living room? I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Straight up. Straight up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that's so funny. Very much that. Very much that. That's cute. But to be fair, I think they remember the era where mid-century stuff was just kind of affordable, middle class. Yeah, that's true. In their time, I found stuff in Montreal that's incredible at a great price in a basement and stuff. People still had that. This was like consumer. Much like mid-century homes. That was their Ikea back then. That was their Ikea back then, yeah. So they're old enough to remember. They were like, oh, okay, this is what you like. When you were a kid, we had a bunch of that. Then we traded off in the 80s for this weird Memphis stuff that no one, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Well, Jason, it's similar to like. Sea Ranch to me is like all of those homes were for basically second homes for like teachers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is how it was intended. Like they were super affordable and that was the whole idea. Yeah. And now it's because of... design nerds it's been turned into something else a little bit but it's still retained we're also kind of seeing it now recently like with the fetishism of like jettas you know like those really dope like jetta like you know volkswagen like a volkswagen jetta yeah yeah yeah volkswagen jetta people are like and i i look at them now with fresh eyes and i'm like this is bomb but you know this was kind of like a middle upper middle class car when we were coming out a jetta a jetta a jetta oh yeah it was volvo volvo chick car most often like a jetta was kind of like that's kind of what it was but because it wasn't flashy it was kind of like well it's because everything that's made nowadays sucks every new car not every but a lot of 90 percent of new cars look bad yeah if you want to buy a new range rover they all kind of look goofy except for the retro looking ones right but you i mean you look at a

You know, 2000 and earlier, you're like pre 9-11 earlier. Yeah. Every Range Rover is just sick. 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. Yeah. And there's now it's just like, oh, yeah. But there's always the question is, you know, much like now, like. You know, there's a renewed appreciation for like music from 2008. You know, maybe who's to say that, you know, people are going to love like 2006. Hey, look, we're all benefiting from that right now. Yeah, we are. So let's just kind of let that one rock. Yeah, Day and Night Remix, we're all benefiting from that still. Yep. We're all eating off the Day and Night Remix. Not me and that line, but we put that record out, you know. No, I know. I know. Why aren't you eating off it if you put it out? I tried to ask. I asked Catch Dubs a long time ago on an old episode how much money he got to buy out Kid Cudi for the contract and he wouldn't answer me. Yeah, I wouldn't even know that. I don't expect you to answer. Yeah, that one I don't know. My brother would know because he knows everything. He kind of knows everything. Yeah, he's like super. Yeah. I think it, you know, it ended, it ended, it was a complicated story, but luckily. Yeah, that's very complicated. Stuff like that is. It always is going to be. Yeah, it's always going to be. Whenever there's a hit, it's going to be an issue. That's honestly. We call this here a good problem. My music career has very little issues. It's pretty shit. It's straightforward. I saw today that Coldplay's like countersuing their ex-manager for 17 million. And I was like, guys, that is a lot of fucking money to be suing each other for. That means it went down. That means it went down. I just I just heard finally what happened to Scooter Braun. Oh, what did you hear? I heard. Well, like you said before, it's not as exciting and sultry and salacious as you hope it would be. But apparently he said that all of his clients, the Bieber's and the Ariana's and everyone were just left bad at. cutting him his check like he was he just got sick and tired of like chasing down the invoices i guess and he's like you guys just fucking deal with yourself like i like i can't have this be such a big part of my job but i don't know i don't know it seems odd though it's odd because business manager does that business like our money goes to the business manager the business manager cuts all the checks to everybody so i don't know well maybe the business maybe i mean maybe the business manager was in on it yeah that's that's what that sounds reasonable in some ways story developing story developing story developing yeah

We got a fact. Independent research. At that level, everybody's so rich, so you're like, oh, shit, did I forget to pay him? Like, no one's going to actually, no one's not going to eat. No one's looking at the Wells Fargo and like, damn, I need to track down a couple checks so I could pay my life bill. Ariana, you owe me $2 million. Like, what are we doing here? Like, I need this money. Oh, I'm so sorry. That's like when I forget to pay the gardener on Venmo or something, you know? Totally. No, that's the biggest problem. Well, what is the... So how much time are you spending in L.A.? Not that much? No. Okay. I spent a large part of this year in L.A. because we do have that studio in Burbank. So I was working on the album, and I guess over the last like... 15 months or whatever, I was there a lot because we have a smaller studio in New York, but the main one with all the keyboards and all the vintage stuff is in LA. So I did spend a whole lot of time there. With friend of the show, Ryland. Yep, exactly. So over those 15 months, have you fallen in love with the city of Burbank? No, not so much. You know, I tried living in LA for two years and it really didn't sit with me. I get it. Look, the fact that I don't have a driver's license, i know we're good you know we're gonna go there yeah it doesn't help but i really really really like walking yeah i love walking and i you know it's just like different places i love seasons it's not like to be the whole la new york thing i think for each person but wait like chris you're you're we do we do both i mean we do both but it's kind of la to me is i love it it's great I always can't wait to go. But after a week or two, I'm a little bored. Oh, wow. I like walking. Nine days is my limit. The reason we live in Soho and it's a shit show is because I can walk everywhere. That's like the whole point is that I want to be able to walk to everything I want to do. But the charm of LA for me is more spending time with my personal trainer, getting a home-cooked meal from Jason. You know what I mean? Those are the things that...

There's no culture. Being my designated driver to and from the San Vicente bungalows. See, by the way, you guys are more bougie than me. Demjean said that he's got a gardener. You said you got a personal trainer. You're bi-coastal. I don't know. You guys are giving me a hard time. There's a sauna. Yeah, exactly. I'm here staying at a Hilton. You're giving me a hard time for a mid-century menorah. I don't know. A lot to debunk today. We got a lot. The problem is, I mean, but we all know that you make much more money than we do. I don't, I don't, you know, you could be doing this. I don't know. I don't know anymore. I guess you're, I mean, we don't have a business manager, but we also don't have anybody that needs to be paid out. You guys are like, you guys are worse than a DJ. You don't even need the flash drives. You need a mic. What are your expenses when you go do the Bowery sold out for three nights? You have no expenses. You have Ubers. I want to see that PML. Don't forget about merch. Oh, this is huge for me personally. This episode of How I'm Gone is brought to you by TaskRabbit. Oh, baby, let me tell you something. This is not a joke. I use TaskRabbit a lot because I can't do anything. You need some art hung? TaskRabbit. You need something put together? A cabinet? Got to reach that cheese grater on the top shelf? TaskRabbit. Anything you need, TaskRabbit can take care of it for you. How it works, TaskRabbit connects you with skilled taskers in your area. They can help you move. They can assemble furniture, repairs, yard work, mounting, and more. You can search for a tasker based on cost, skill set, availability, and past client reviews so you know exactly who's showing up and can have confidence that they know what they're doing because taskers have assembled over 3.4 million pieces of furniture, completed 700,000 home repairs. handled 1.5 million moves, and the numbers are just going up, Jason. Yeah, throw a little money at the problem. It's not so expensive, and that job that you really don't want to do is something that another person out in the world is very good at doing and would gladly do it in exchange for a little bit of money. So when life happens, your to-do list grows. Get ahead of it now and get $15 off your first task at TaskRabbit.com or grab the TaskRabbit app using promo code

how long taskers book up faster, especially for same-day tasks. So book trusted home help today. That is $15 off your first task using promo code howlong with the TaskRabbit app or at TaskRabbit.com. This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Squarespace. Obviously, Jason, you and I spend a lot of time on the World Wide Web, sort of our peers, our listeners, our friends, our colleagues, maybe even your parents if they're freaky. And if you're doing anything in the world, writing, taking pictures. I do topless boxing. You need a website. Exactly. A website that works, that does what it's supposed to do, that allows you to be creative, but also business-minded. Jason, there's one place to go for that, Squarespace. Yeah, Chris, I'm over here. I'm modifying calculators and putting Claude inside of them so you could cheat at school. And I just want a place where I could have everything all in one place. I can have the SEO tools. So those future graduates can find me and, you know, I'm able to accept, quote unquote, donations for my services that might be gray area. You know what I mean? And then email campaigns. Hey, I got a new, you know, 2.3 version upgrade. Boom, boom, boom. Get the analytics going. Raise some money. You know, show your investor all of your cool analytics of what's going on. They're going to want to get in early and we can use Blueprint AI to make your website look as professional. as your competition, if not more. Head to squarespace.com slash howlong for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code howlong to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or a domain. We go to a lot of popular, expensive restaurants that do kind of take away from the bottom line. You know, the flights and the hotels versus the roughing it and everything. But we still do rough it. Bring a giant duffel bag full of T-shirts to sell when we're doing a show in Seattle or whatever. That's dope. You know, so we're still doing that stuff. But you guys, like, have perfected a little bit the art of, like, traveling. Like, you're not checking any bags anymore. You're just carry-on only. That's the problem with, like, merch. You kind of have to. Yeah, you can also ship it. No, you can ship it. Yeah, but it's usually because of my Delta status, it's almost easier.

to just bring it. And cheaper, I think, in the long run. Yeah, we're a couple of big guys. We can lug a duffel bag through. I mean, Dave, you know how it is trying to travel with footwear. I mean, it's tough. I got these boots. I got these sneakers to work out. I mean, I don't, you know, it's tough for me. I have a system. I wear, I have like two pairs of boots. I could fit one pair of sneakers. I could do a carry-on. for one month. I've done it one month on a carry-on. Okay, what's the system? Actually, I heard a podcast yesterday where people were talking about it. It was a Marc Maron podcast and he was talking about having the boots, but the boots often have metal in them and they can set off the alarm and TSA. They do, yeah. So you have to take them off. Oh my God, dude. If you wear sneakers or Crocs and you look like a schmuck in the airport. Right. But if you want to go work out, you only have two pairs of boots when you're at the hotel. So what's the system? So this is the embarrassing bit is that my only workout is yoga. So I don't need – well, I wish – I really wish – It's not embarrassing. No shoes. No shoes needed. No shoes needed. That's the thing. No shoes needed. And you don't even – you can have one of those foldable mats, but, like, you could also do it, like, on a carpet. I really want to get into – I'm really interested in your yoga look overall. It's bad. Because I'm having a tough time imagining it. It's pretty bad. I guess if you're doing it in the hotel. You're probably doing a butt naked Diplo style, right? It's close. Like, I've had the same one or two pairs of shorts, like, for 11 years. They're, like, disintegrating. You're not a shorts guy, so that doesn't surprise me. That doesn't surprise me. Yeah, no. So, like, the Nike workout shorts that have the built-in panty liner, you got a couple pairs of those. That's exactly what I have. That's exactly. And, like... They were black at first, but now they're like this kind of discolored charcoal. And like that little swoosh is like kind of all like marbles from the wash. It's lost all of its iridescent capabilities. And now it's a draft. But the kicker is they don't smell bad.

They don't smell bad. Even though decades, it's about to see its fourth presidency in America, and these shorts are still holding up, not threadbare. They're just simply discolored. There's something to be said about that. Yeah, and then just whatever shitty T-shirt I have left. I mean, I definitely have an inferiority complex towards people who have the discipline to go to the gym. I had a period when I lived in L.A. for two years. I went to see a personal trainer, and I worked out three times a week. Did you get too big for your suits, and you had to kind of scale it back? It was a little strange. It was a little strange. The answer is yes? Yeah. You're like, hold on. These pectorals are kind of – I mean, if I just do – I mean, I can't get my shoulders big. I just can't do that. Yeah, it started – but also, yeah, it kind of looked – strange i mean i kind of maybe like is there a thing where you can only do arms and like nothing else and like i would just do yoga and then just do arms then you can go sleeveless and do all this cool stuff but like the legs can stay tiny i don't know i gotta find out a system i i don't have it that's interesting because most people are the other way they're like don't sleep on leg day everyone wants to avoid having we say that and you're saying i want to have my legs are fine Snatch little calves. Dave, the legs and ass are some of your biggest, most powerful muscles that kind of inform everything else. But also, if he's a yoga junkie, you're using your legs a lot. Yeah, my core is fine. My legs are fine. My core is on fleek. My core is fleeked up. But you just want some arms for the tank tops. For the tank tops, yeah. Because right now it's not. And I haven't had the discipline. I really... I don't know. This has been the first tour since pre-pandemic. So it's like over five years and like my system is off. So, you know, I'm, I'm very insecure about that bit, but we'll see what happens. I mean, you, you guys, yeah, you guys are big. You guys are big kind of workout people, like real big. Chris is. I've seen you. You're jacked. You're jacked. Yeah, you got jacked. But you got – when did you get jacked, Chris? Because I feel like that's how – Well, Dave, first of all, thank you. And second of all, it's an ongoing process. But I would say in the last – I mean I guess I've been sober for almost like eight years. So –

I would say that is obviously that kickstart. You were working out when you were on drugs, but it was more so rolling around on the floor looking at your brain. Yeah, when you're taking oxys every day, the soul cycle is getting different. Yeah, exactly. The soul cycle is a little different. Right. But yeah, I think it's just like it becomes the need for a routine and like a habit replacement, obviously. Yeah. And thank God for me, I was able to avoid like gummy worms and Nicorette and went straight to – know went straight to fitness but i also i met i think i i found that i met this guy we talk about all the time on the show but my trainer in la hunter and he just kind of what a name he made it he i know he just made it like approachable and easy and like fun you know what i mean in this way that i was like oh i like this you finally found a guy that you clicked with yeah that's exactly i finally found a man i could i could click with and that's a bit i think that's a thing because yeah i think that most trainers are bad very hard you know most trainers are bad or they're like too macho no i had an amazing one in la we got along great but like I wasn't looking or feeling the way I wanted to feel and I was having crazy mood swings. So like I would like leave the gym then have a craving for like this giant like peanut butter chocolate smoothie from Earth Bar. So then this is like before the trend of like sugar is bad for you. So like I would just like scarf down this smoothie. And then, like, next thing you know, I'm like, I'm real hype. And then I'd have a dip. Then I'd get a coffee. And I just felt like I had these crazy mood swings throughout the day. The Wolverine will do that to you, David. Yeah, I know, right? You've been David. You've been David-ing me. I mean, you grandfathered into the Dave thing because we go way back. But the David thing, I should say. But, yeah, I was really, it was strange. And then. And then I stopped working out because I was like, this is messed up. And then I started ballooning, and I gained like 15 pounds. Really? I can't imagine you putting on a single pound, which is a blessing. Where in your body does that go to? I'm not going to tell you guys. That is the – He's like, fellas – That's barely my therapist. He's like, fellas, it's crazy. My dick got bigger actually when I gained – I don't know what it is, guys. It's crazy.

But I know I got to get back to it because, like, I mean, I'm older than both of you guys. And, like, I've been – people are starting to say, like, when you're – at a certain age like you really have to be like build muscle strength and my parents believe it or not my parents like it's so funny because you know i'm the son of two jewish intellectuals and i and i always had this picture of my head in my head of my parents being just like these kind of like academics nerdy academics but my dad is jacked he's ripped and my mom really yeah it's so strange and my they're extremely active and my mom Um, my mom swims across the lake every day. It's just, it's unheard of. This is like, this is, this has happened in my life a little bit as well, because my mom retired and now she just exercises all the time. She looks amazing. And it's just like, well, I have time and like, this is, you know, what am I? Yeah, that's also the thing. That's also the thing is that like, and the studio lifestyle is extremely unhealthy and then the touring lifestyle isn't super duper healthy. So I'm going to have to, I mean, maybe I'll talk to you a little outside of the podcast, Chris, because I could definitely use some pointers. I haven't found really what works, but I'm looking forward to learning about it. It's just, you know. Everything they say about kind of like the crippling self-doubt and the anxiety that goes with both being a musician and also being a touring artist is true. And it's very hard to kind of muster the discipline and the rigor to go through all that. It's also – I mean I remember it when it was intimidating when I was like, I don't think I can do this. And I'm an adult man and I don't really want to like fall over. Like I don't want to fail. You know what I mean? It's like intimidating in that way. I mean I like it. I like – I remember when I was really into my workouts three times a week. Even when I'm in the phase of doing yoga three times a week, like I miss it and I feel off when I don't do it. But then you start falling off and it's so hard to get back into it. I mean this is all pretty basic stuff. No, but it's – but I guess it's like it is a time thing I think for a lot of people. I make the time. Yeah, you have it too clearly. Totally, totally. But I do find it interesting when like – I feel like somebody needs to write.

I need kind of a full warning because then I'll just be on Instagram and be like, oh, okay, they're jacked now. All right, that's the thing. Like, I feel like there could be a thing of like, yo, by the way, I'm going to be jacked. Just FYI, you know, in a trigger warning, the next stories might show me being jacked. If you do a natural route to your jackedness, it's a gradual thing that happens over months or years. But when you see somebody who instantly is overnight jacked, do you suspect foul play in terms of? hgh or things like that no no okay no no no my mind doesn't go there mine does no i'm just like i'm just like okay like what's the deal like i mean you know what are you going through what are you going good for you bad for me what are you yeah good for you bad for me what are you going for and then you know like the pull-ups i'm just like okay you know and also like It's just – to me, it's a little – it's kind of like a – it really is a makeover. It really is a makeover. Let's be honest. It's a makeover. For sure. And so I'm always like, all right, what are you overcompensating for? Secondly, how can I learn to do that? Thirdly, like what – like did you – I need a warning. I need something. Tell me everything is what you ask. Yeah, context. Context. Yeah, yeah. Context is valuable. You can't just put the pull-ups out of the clear blue skies. I'm just like, who is this? That's a great example. Do you feel like you have to, like when you're doing yoga and you're in like an intense, like a hot yoga position or a really difficult pose, do you feel like I'm pumping the Maklovich out of me or running the steward out of me? You know, like that sort of line of thinking of like you have this demon inside of your body that you need to just... squeeze out no the whole no the mack no the maklovich in me for some reason i've never gotten him out of me and he could sing you suck how come you can't do a headstand you suck yeah why aren't you i knew this was about the headstand you've been struggling so that's one of the hardest poses that's one of the hardest poses but but you notice that you're a better person to your your partner and your friends and your family after you've been through like a heavy workout session does that happen to you

No. No, I just feel better. No, I don't think that makes me a better person. No, therapy will make me a better person to people around me. Yoga or workout, not really. In fact, no, it gives me mood swings and I'm tired. No, there's no positive, but I just feel better. I mean, again, I've been too much of a dilettante about this and I need to kind of focus about it more. But anyways. That's the yoga part of the conversation. That's your fitness journey. Thank you for sharing that with us. It's ongoing and it kind of has to resume a little bit better, but this is where I'm at today and this is where I'm at now, one day at a time. One day at a time, baby. One day at a time. Yes, indeed. I know that you were a professor at Columbia, correct? and barnard okay so what what were you teaching um french language yeah uh and then and then like a little bit of french literature and also translation courses like there was like a lot of french language courses adjacent to like you know sort of different levels of french language and then towards the end i was doing a little bit of french literature which was really fun um but you know a lot of that is just part of being a phd candidate you have to teach yeah sure and then And then towards the end, I got a job at Barnard, and I was just teaching there for a couple of years. And you were doing the band at the same time, though, correct? Yeah, yeah. So the three first Chromio albums was while I was still a PhD candidate and I was teaching. And it's only album number four and five and now six that I've been making music for. Were you at the end of the road with it, or were you like, I have to pick one kind of thing? Wait, are you a doctor? No. Okay. I wish. There's still time. There's still time. No, but people tell me that. The problem is, like, I honestly, like, I thought about finishing my dissertation, but I really don't like my topic anymore. And, like, I wish, you know, it's tough with that stuff because you get kind of swayed, you know, like you get oriented and guided by advisors. Yeah, and you just realize, like, that wasn't really. But anyhow, yeah, it got to, like, a point of a quasi-burnout.

um when i was when i was touring and teaching at the same time and um yeah like i had some health stuff where i was like all right i'm gonna need to choose and um there was this thing where like i i was uh in the running for a professor position uh a tenure track position at yale and i told myself if i get it then it means maybe that, like, you know, academia is the way to go and Chromio is going to just be, like, kind of a hobby. And then if I don't get it, which I ended up coming second and some other guy got it, but then I was like, okay, maybe this is – and, you know, that and a bunch of health things, and I had to kind of choose, and I went with music. But, yeah, I'm hoping I can work in, like, a lot of – I hope I can work in more of, like, the things I've learned and the things I keep from the academic world into, like, into what I share. I haven't figured out yet how. We talked to this. We talked to Jim Goldberg, this photographer, a couple weeks ago who was a professor for quite a long time. And I guess because he was teaching, like, art and photography, it was, like, different. But I just. I can't imagine being – as like we're peers basically. Like I can't imagine being like five, ten years ago and being in that position. But also I guess it's different because of what you're teaching. some people are just really bad at it, even at that level, where you're like, bro, this might not be for you. No, I think I was better at teaching than I am in music, for sure. I think I was really, really... I'm not one to brag, as you guys can tell. What about DJing, though? I'm terrible. But ever since I saw that, but I'm good. You're not terrible. No, I've got a good presence and I got better. And now that the CDJs can sync, it really is a lot better. And, you know, I've got a good presence and stuff. And I know how to read a crowd well, but technically I'm terrible. But it's funny. But, you know, you know this. I mean, a lot of DJing is just like kind of like it's like crowd analysis. And also your kind of presence behind the deck more and more now that like DJs are, you know, kind of center stage and stuff. So I think I'm good at those two things.

um you know after that technically i don't know how to do much but whatever i don't i think the technical i mean i know that you because of your home life you know you've been beaten to your head that technical ability is the most important thing yeah the person you're comparing yourself to might not make it fair compared to the average sibling but but you have but like you said this the presence you have that front man stage energy presence and that's not something that you can teach. Yeah. I can teach any fucking loser how to mix two records together and how to be mad. This knob goes loud. This knob goes quiet. It's not that. Yeah. But like to have that presence on the stage, that swag, the front person energy, all eyes on me. Yeah. That's. yeah that's that's that's unteachable yeah and now that's part of what i think like i loved being a professor as well or being like you know an adjunct or whatever all these things it was really fun because and i grew into it and i i love the performance aspect it's funny i don't feel myself i don't think of myself ever ever ever ever was it as a performer, but that, that's really what it is in both cases. And I agree with you, Chris, like the technical aspect of anything is not the most important at all. And, and even my brother would say that. No, I mean, of course, of course. I mean, he's, he's touched by, he's touched by God technically, but you need the other stuff. Yeah. But, but that's, you need the other stuff. In fact, the other stuff's way more, way more. People get caught up in technical. I mean, it's like, I hate guitar solos. You know what I mean? I'm like, I know you can do that. Like, that's great. But, like, is the song good? You know what I mean? Well, I only like guitar solos. I actually, we have, surprisingly, in Chromio, there's a long tradition of guitar solos. But I like guitar solos that you can sing. Yes, yeah, yeah. So, like, for instance, I could sing the Sweet Child O' Mine solo. You can sing the Bohemian Rhapsody solo. The November Rain solo. Any stroke solo, you can sing as well. The classic guitar solos, you're able to sing front to back. It's their own little song, right? And those are the good ones. The noodley ones that are aimless and just meandering, they don't interest us. So no Yngwie Malmsteen over here. I don't think so. Eddie, yes. Eddie Van Halen. But Eddie, you have to be able to sing the solo. That's how I see it anyway.

That's a great, I've never heard that analysis before and it makes perfect sense. Me neither. Now I'm thinking, is Kirk Hammett singable? Some of them yes, some of them no. Some of them yes. Some of them, yes. And Slash, most of his solos are singable, and that's why they're so great. You have to be able to sing the solo. When you hear it, you know where it's going next. It's part of the song. And so that's how I always thought about it, and that's, to me, what makes a great guitar solo. Yeah, not all solos are bad, Chris. You can't do a blanket stereotype of solos. No, no, I don't mean it like that. I just mean it being like... I know the kinds that you don't like. I just mean being an incredible guitar player doesn't really mean anything to me if the songs ain't there. I think I realized that I like a lot of music by people that aren't necessarily technically very good, but they got the touch. But that's the best music. That's always the best music. For instance, the best disco songs are when the rock bands tried to make a disco song. If you're a music fan, the greatest disco song of all time is either Miss You or I Was Made For Loving You by Kiss or it's Rod Stewart. These are songs that were made under duress. under pressure guys we need a disco song we need this we need a disco song okay and they're doing it it's kind of wrong but that's what makes it great that's what makes it like and and you know and i love earth wind and fire but but for me personally miss you is a better disco song than a lot of those kind of real technical real orchestral disco jams that kind of feel it they lack a little bit in charm right so i think in a lot of what you're saying you know The self-taught, the imperfect, the goofy, the clumsy, it has a certain vibration to it that draws you in, right? Like an example in pop culture recently was like, you know, when I first, fairly recently, 10 years ago, when I first heard Get Lucky, I think I'm not the first one to be like, this is like, this guy's off pitch. Like this guy's vocal is off. You're talking about skateboarding. What the hell's going on? And he's my favorite, one of my favorite vocalists of all time. But I was like, this is off.

It's off. And then yet it becomes the biggest song in the world with a guy that's really pitchy. It's pitchy, pitchy, pitchy. And I think it's those imperfections that really draw you in. Well, he's a great example of someone who's absolutely a genius, but he's not the world's best drummer. He's not the world's best singer. He's not the world's best rapper, but it almost always works for him. Always works, yeah. Because there's a level of swag. There's a level of swag. Yeah, but he's the world's best looking guy. When I say swag, that's what I mean. He's the world's best looking guy, wakes up one day, wears the world's best hat, wakes up one day, has the world's best mustache. Like he does have a leg up over me, I'll say that much. Over all of us, yes. Yeah, like, well, how do you wake up one day and decide to have the world's best mustache? And then you're like, Mr. Mustache. No, he is the mustache. He's the mustache. Skateboard mustache or mustache P, whatever you want to call it. Mustache P does roll off the tongue. You can probably skate better than him, though. Yeah, but he's skateboard P. You're not skateboard C. It's just so crazy. Can you skate, Dave? Nah, I sucked. But I grew up in that generation, definitely. I suck. But, you know, I think, man, you know. Everyone had to a little bit. Yeah, I'm 45. So, like, it was really like, you know, the days of Airwalk and Vision Streetwear and Santa Cruz, Paro Peralta. That was my youth, definitely. Even in Montreal, the streets were icy nine months a year. You could find a way. I mean, it was huge. It was an elementary school. You know, third grade, I learned what Vision Streetwear was. And, you know, I'm so fortunate to have learned through that because I think that, like, skateboard aesthetic like if you grew up with that you understood flavor very early it was one of the first yeah it was one of the first aesthetics that kind of like has this whole post-modern humor that now has become commonplace but you know when you think about like

recycling from different cultures like Sussi would have the Rastafarian mixed with the punk mixed with the graffiti you know you had like the weird like heavy metal graphics on the skulls on Power Peralta you had like the it was really like it was it was so plural and so rich and we got fed those images at such a young age that it conditions your taste so young you know and it's on point it's flawless you know what I'm saying like if you grow up with if you grow up with Tumblr You're exposed to like a lot of hashtag aesthetic cool stuff. And but there's also trash on there. Skateboard aesthetics from the late 80s, early 90s, mid 90s. It's flawless. There's no there's nothing bad. You couldn't afford to not be flawless. It's the pinnacle of everything. It's the pinnacle. And there's also there's also kind of a flavor for everyone. Like, you know, obviously, like. what it's all good like yeah it's all good but if you like this thing a little if you like this thing a little more this thing a little more there's that yeah that's represented you got one for the rocker homies yeah exactly and you define yourself that way which was beautiful right like it's like like you've got you've got certain kids that go more for like the weird like hand-drawn planet earth whatever that brand was you know those kind of doodles you had other kids that went for the more like the heavy metal more the rasta more the graffiti It was amazing. The Stoner homies had the Alien Workshop. Jason, you seem like a World Industries guy. No shots. I was Alien Workshop flavor. I do sound like an old head, but I will say that I find this really, really deep bond with people who have grown up sharing the same sort of aesthetic interest as me. Like someone who grew up with graffiti. Whoever they are, me and this person will immediately click. I mean, you have the word one in your name. That's right. Dave Warner. That's right. That's where it comes from. It's true. So I was going to ask about your graffiti history. Could you tell us a little about your journey? Yeah. In the mid-90s. You were a toy? That's for sure. In the mid-90s, there wasn't that many avenues.

for kind of nerdy white kids to be cool. Like there's just not that many ways to do it. Your brother did one of them. And it's like basketball, DJing, rapping wasn't in the question. Basketball, that wasn't me. DJing was Alain. Skateboarding, I sucked. So I really went for the two things. First, graffiti. BMX, you can only go so far. It wasn't even cool by then. It was kind of like 80s. It was passe. And all the rock kids, all the sort of rock or whatever kids, in my school and in my kind of upbringing, they weren't cool. They were corny. Because we were all rock kids. We were all rock kids, but some of us went hip-hop, and the other ones stayed rock. And for instance, Chris, you mentioned pavement. Like I've never heard a pavement song and yet we're basically the same generation, but I never, I missed out on all that. The last rock music I heard was Pearl Jam 10 and then it was over. Really? Over. And then, yeah, that's it. That was the last rock cassette I bought. And then it went from the check your head to the far side, to Cypress Hill, to Beastie Boys, to Tribe. I was gone. I was, it was jizza. It was, you know, gone. But do you, do you ever go back and listen to rock? no uh pearl jam before no that's all gone gone and and one day i'll go in and like listen to those kind of like great alternative records from that period but i've never heard them i've never ever ever ever heard them i know stuff from the 80s the cure and all that i love but i feel the same i mean i i've i probably i'm the same way about a lot of that hit like I never cared about Tribe Called Quest or, like, Farsight. Like, I knew that stuff from skate videos, basically. Yeah. But it never captured. I was just, I was into punk and hardcore. Yeah, but that makes you, but objectively, that makes you more corny. I think that was herb shit. Like you have to learn. If you don't grow up with tribe, it's an issue. We're going to have to give you like a. Dave, your dust is showing right now, but we'll allow it. I know it really is. It really is. But you know what? In a way, what I say, and this is like this is like the real academic thing to say. This is the real professor thing to say. You never had a tribe phase.

You're so lucky because you're going to get to see it and discover it for the first time. That's the real professor. You've never seen the movie Paris, Texas? I envy you because you'll watch it for the first time. If I could take a pill and watch it again for the first time, I would. Exactly. That's the classic thing. This is a little herb on herb. You say herb, herb, herb. herb on herb i don't know i think when you is it is it herb calling the herb herb no if you know mob deep by heart you're not a herb i don't care i don't okay i'll die on that i don't think i don't think herb i think dusty old head which is but that's what i say all the time it's like i make fun of all these dusty hip-hop dudes but if you know all the lyrics to slayer songs does that remove you from the herb but but what is what makes you dusty i think is if you don't love the new stuff and you haven't kind of grown with it and yeah that's true still like i don't i don't work from the assumption that this stuff is better than playboy cardi i work from the assumption that this is special for me because it's a golden era in my life i have memories attached to it and it does represent objectively a peak moment in the art form but there's nothing i'm not saying like oh the new stuff is terrible i listen to everything all the new stuff and one day maybe you know with your help or somebody else's help I'll go back and listen to all the rock music. I'll make you a little – I'll send you our – actually, the playlist that we play before our shows, maybe we should share that with him, Jason. It's a Britpop explainer. It's got all the kind of – Well, there was a couple of groups that I really was into, but during that time, that kind of seeped through to me, but it's because I love their style. I think Faith No More had the best style because they were kind of dressing like me. They had big speakers and graphic T-shirts, and they kind of had a skate –

thing too a through line so i was like these guys are cool yeah um and obviously the beasties were everywhere like that was kind of you know so yeah i don't know it it was an interesting time like when you basically like you know i played guitar and i was playing purple haze and playing you know jeremy spoke in class today and then like cypress and then and then i get the cypress hill uh uh cassette and i never touched my guitar for like 10 years i never touched my guitar until i started chromium yeah yeah you know it was really like It was it. That was it for me. Not even to sample it for a Walk This Way style song on the MPC. Maybe to sample it for like a weird guitar, David Axelrod sounding something on the MPC. Correct. Let's go. Let's go. But the graffiti stuff, you know, I was never really up, but I loved it and I love it still. And was Dave One your name? It was one of them. And it's kind of like a dog whistle. It's kind of like a dog whistle now, you know, because people, the people that know that stuff, even though it's. It got me barking, Dev. Got me barking. It's the most dusty old head name. It's perfect. Yeah, it's pretty perfect. It's pretty perfect. Having your graffiti name be Dave is, I mean, an ideal graffiti name is four letters, oftentimes. Four letters. One syllable. A is a good letter. E is a good letter. V is kind of easy. It kind of looks like an A. And D is whatever. V gets tough for a throw up, though, but I don't have to tell you that, Dave. But I really like talking with graffiti. I like being a dusty old head. It's just that like you can get into these different modes because I love, you know, like luckily with my brother, we're in touch with all these kids to like just the way wavy. And I learned a ton from them, too. You know, that's also fun. I'm sure you guys feel the same way. I feel the same way. I think that's what I mean. I feel like I'm just we're just dusty heads in different ways, you know, and then we can come together to create.

an all-knowing, dusty head kind of conglomerate. But what makes you dusty is saying that your old stuff is better than the new stuff. You're still... Well, I do say that. I will say that. Because, well, yeah, because the Lemonheads are better than any guitar music I've heard in the last 10 years. Yeah, but see, I think rock stagnated. And I think this might be happening. It did, it did, for sure, it did. But Chris still checks for new stuff all the time. That's amazing. Yeah, I do. Yeah, I do. Yeah, but then, so Chris, what's your deal? What about with fashion? Are you wearing online ceramics? First of all, don't disrespect me like that. No, I'm asking because I feel like your fashion stuff is more like of a classicist. I want things that are very simple. I think that the way that you've committed, and I'm always so impressed with this because I can't do that. It's tough to explain, but the commitment to being like, this is how I want to look all the time, and I love it, and it makes me feel comfortable, and I'll never deviate from it, is so powerful. But I don't have that in me. I just want to wear jeans and a t-shirt and some penny loafers. But that's commitment. But that is a commitment. That's commitment, but it feels like an easier commitment to make. Let's say that. No, I don't know. It's a commitment, though. Penny loafers are uncomfortable, especially if you buy the real ones, like the bass. I remember at one point when I was trying to wear those and, like, I got blisters everywhere. And then, like, in the summer, you can't wear socks with them. It hurts. It hurts everywhere. I think that's a pretty cool commitment. I guess it is. I guess I'm committed in my own way. I guess that's true. No, you are. And also, like, it's almost this Buddhist thing because you're tempted. You're so tempted to wear maybe a T-shirt with a grab. in the odd time that you love a graphic t-shirt and you're like i'm not going to do it you're tempted to probably wear like you you'll see someone with a dope vintage shot you know and you're like i can't do that that's a great that's a great example of something i cannot do i love the way that shit looks on everyone but me he will he will he will double tap it but he won't put it in the cart yeah double tap no this is the last time actually it's funny it's funny this happened to me last last week i i saw this pair of

Celine sunglasses on a bus stop pad. And I was like, damn, I think that's Nick Cave's son, but I think I could pull those off too. You know what I mean? But you can't bring yourself to do it. I went to the Celine store. The guy finds them, tries them on, and I'm like, I think these are pretty cool. I thought they looked good. I really liked them. I couldn't buy them. What if you just scraped the brand off from the side? No, the branding was pretty minimal. It wasn't even that bad. The principle? It just felt like a statement. You weren't ready to slip into a new identity. That's how powerful this would have transformed your look. Exactly. That's how powerful Selene is as a brand. That's exactly, honestly. What about you, Jason? What are your dilemmas sartorially? Or you're going for the embrace the schlub thing? Is that sort of more? I don't know. I'm asking. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Well put, Dave. Well, for me... Because of my extreme height, the amount of things that fit me are pretty slim to nil. So I've reached a zen-like acceptance that 99% of things are not going to ever work for me. So without, I guess, what's it called when you have too many things available on Netflix? Paralyzed by choice? Yeah, like the paralyzed by choice or the dilemma of having everything available for you and you can't choose. To me, it's like you can have this or this. Right. Which one do you want? So I don't think about clothes or fashion whatsoever. It's just like the things I do have that magically fit me, I hold on to them forever. And I'm grateful that I have enough money to sometimes buy things that are expensive or get pants that are custom made or something like that. But otherwise, I don't even think about it. That's cool. That's a good place to be. So it's not really a dilemma. Right. When you fit nowhere, you fit everywhere is what I said. Oh, wow. That's damn. Jason's third eye is open. It is. Well, last question, Dave, before we leave you. Do you miss music criticism? I loved your reviews back in the day. Oh, wow. Classic reviews. Classic. Yeah, a lot of people don't know that. It's funny.

Sorry to go on a tangent. Is that private info? Is that private info? Should I cut that? No, not at all. Not at all. No, not at all. It's funny. Before we... Okay, I don't want to go over time, but I'll just share a train of thought I have. Sure. No, please. Because before this interview, I was trying to anticipate what the tone of the conversation would be or whatever, right? And there's so much of that, the podcast kind of... uh parlance that's that veers into like the edgelordy kind of whatever you want to call it like i don't follow it closely but it makes its way that's sort of like the come town adjacent discourse doesn't make its way to me and i've always wondered like why that stuff kind of doesn't leave an impact it doesn't scandalize me but it also doesn't titillate me and then i was like wait you weren't an editor advice for nine years like you guys kind of wrote that book you know what i'm saying like yeah you did that we we kind of you know although although uh with much with a lot of borrowing from ego trip magazine for the real nerds that want to do the the archaeology right but but um but it's funny because that kind of sensibility And again, maybe that's me being a dusty old head. But I was like, I know this. I'm familiar with this. This doesn't even feel. No, that's right. I've never I've never thought about that. And we've talked a few times on the show about how good vice was in its, you know, heyday of making the magazine and how funny it was and how, you know, it was just important. It's so hard. It's so hard to say this. It's impossible to say this. But, you know, these are guys I know really, really well and that I've grown up with informative years of my life. But but old school Gavin was one of the funniest pop culture journalists. Oh, yeah. And most innovative pop culture journalists of our generation, like hands down. Right. And then and then what happened happened. But like before that, even though there was like rumblings of it.

The guy's pen was incredible, right? We can say this. He was sick with the pen. We can say that. Both of these things can be true. Yeah, you can be. You can become a Nazi afterwards and, like, we don't fuck with that part of you. But, like, if you're able. He's sick with the pen. He's sick with the Fred Perry as well. Right, right. But the early days, the early days do's and don'ts from like 2002, you know, he wrote all those himself. And so it's kind of similarly. I wrote all the rap reviews for nine years under different pseudonyms. Some great pseudonyms, too. Yeah. I never saw that as music criticism because, like, for me, music criticism is more of a long form thing. And that can be hit or miss. But I do find it interesting. I have to kind of condition myself differently because with Chromio, like, you know, a lot of. critics have a field day with us and they really have shat on us at different points for different times so i kind of have to look at it a little bit differently even though i do enjoy it it was more like kind of finding a funny discourse about music that i found to be very entertaining when the commonly accepted notion wasn't highlighting this genre music right so so you know long story short like people of my sensibility found really endearing humor in Wu-Tang or Jiyunit or whatever that we wanted to share with Fat Joe, Rockefeller, that we loved to share with people. And it felt great because a lot of people did not see that inherent humor. The rappers themselves saw it, their friends saw it, but the discourse around it wasn't highlighting it. So the challenge was communicating. And we need to educate these people. Cameron has been saying all this amazing stuff over here, you guys, and you don't know about it. It's my job to educate. Or you don't know that it's hilarious and that he finds it hilarious. His friends find it hilarious, but somehow the discourse about it is really stern and boring. So that's kind of where we felt like we were making a contribution. A translator. Yeah, it's not. You guys know this because you're both specialists in a lot of domains.

It's not translating. It's basically like showing someone how to appreciate something that's hiding in plain sight. And then when they see it, their appreciation for it, whatever this thing is, is enhanced. So you're just like sprinkling the MSG on something. Anyone can read a book. Anyone can listen to music. Anyone can watch a movie. The only goal that... people who make this discourse about these things our only goal is to give you the little msg so that when you read it and watch it like you chris with tribe for the first time or me with pavement for the first time our experience will be enhanced by the guy yes yes right Wow, that was a little pedantic. No, no, no. I was along for the ride. We were tapped in. No, look, thank you for joining us on How Long Gone. It was a pleasure, Dave. Yeah, was this like a less not edgy enough? No, no. Should we have been talking about Palestine for two hours? We're not edgy. No, that's not what we do. Yeah, we're not really an edgy podcast. We're just kind of regular dudes. We'll have a few little off-color remarks. We stay out of politics, or we at least try to, but we also know that we're all humans, and we make some jokes that could offend some people, but we don't really cross that line into the dark edgelord stuff. Right, and you guys are very, very, very self-aware, right? There's a lot of self-deprecating. Cripplingly. Yeah, I think so. Cripplingly. Cripplingly. Which I think is the prerequisite. That does make a difference. That's kind of... Yeah. Yes, you have to. Cool. Well, you guys have been trying to get me out of here for 10 minutes and I feel like I overstayed. That's not true. All right. No, no, no. With you and every other guest, you know, the good stuff happens at the end. It's true. The great stuff happens when you turn record off. Yeah, it's like the accidents that happen 10 minutes from your house. All right. Well, Dave, it was a pleasure. Thank you for talking to us. Have a good show. I know. Long overdue. Thank you so much for having me. That was great. We loved it. Of course. We'll see you soon. We'll see you soon, bro. Later.