For 40+ years, Bertis Downs has been REM's secret weapon – their friend, lawyer, manager, and the guy who helped Berry, Buck, Mills, and Stipe stay true to their vision while conquering the world.
What you'll hear:
• How REM fought record label pressure and won
• Why they refused to tour for 5 years at their peak
• The real story behind Athens, GA becoming a music mecca
• Backstage at the legendary Vote for Change tour with Springsteen
• The one question that ends all reunion speculation
• Plus: Dave gets gonged over chiropractors
From indie darlings to MTV superstars to their graceful exit - this is the inside story of how to make it big without selling your soul.
Perfect for fans of: music industry stories, 80s/90s nostalgia, Athens GA scene, principled artists

[00:00:00] Our REM Favorites & Show Intro
[00:03:09] Pittsburgh Quesadilla Tangent
[00:10:41] Meet Bertis Downs
[00:11:39] From Record Store Buddy to Band Attorney
[00:13:30] What Happens When the Fans Break the Chapel Pews
[00:15:47] Changing the Name of Coach K Court?
[00:16:30] How Integrity and Success Can Coexist
[00:21:00] The Murmur Sessions
[00:26:15] When Athens, GA Was the Center of the Music World
[00:30:02] The Slow Path to Being and Overnight Sensation
[00:32:15] REM’s Three-Legged Dog Era
[00:36:30] The Magic of Live Performance
[00:40:15] Will The Bear Bring on a Reunion Tour?
[00:49:00] REM Meets the Boss
[00:53:00] Making Sense of the Modern Music Business
[00:57:30] Interview Wrap-Up
[00:58:18] Post-Interview Reactions
[01:03:21] Wormholes: Chiropractors, Chicken Cannons and the Gong
[01:09:30] Next Episode: 1977

It's the birth of Gen X Culture! What do Rocky, Sid Vicious, Miss Piggy and Slime all have in common? They all made their debuts in 1976, kickoff year for the Stupid Gen X Tricks review of our generation's childhood. We've got the Fonz' leather jacket and Farah Fawcett's bathing suit. The rapid rise and tragic falls of both the Sex Pistols and Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. And all the bicentennial bunting you can handle, brought to you by two guys who saw it all from the privileged perch of the elementary school playground. If you had a favorite team in Battle of the Network Stars, a favorite regular on The Gong Show, or a favorite character from The Bad News Bears, this is the podcast for you!

[00:00] – 🎬 Cold Open: Raw Eggs & Sides of Beef
[00:59] – 🇺🇸 Bicentennial Everywhere (fife, bunting, quarters)
[09:45] – ⚾ The Bird: Mark Fidrych Mania
[12:00] – 🧸 Stretch Armstrong (and the freezer myth)
[15:20] – 🥇 Montreal ’76: Nadia, Sugar Ray, Jenner
[22:00] – 🥊 Rocky: Why It Still Slaps
[24:50] – 🎥 Movies of ’76: Taxi Driver, Steadicam Origins
[28:00] – 👶 Sweary Kids & Bad News Bears
[31:00] – 📺 TV Ruled: Happy Days, Muppets, Battle of the Network Stars
[38:30] – 🐷 Miss Piggy: Icon or Ick?
[42:00] – 💿 Music Charts: Eagles vs. Punk Energy
[45:20] – 🎸 Max’s Kansas City Poster: Punk Before the Albums
[52:00] – ⚡ AC/DC, Boston Art, Joni’s Hejira
[59:30] – 🟢 Wormhole #1: The Original Slime
[01:03:30] – 📻 Wormhole #2: Car Radios & the 16⅔ RPM Mistake
[01:07:45] – 🔔 What’s Next + R.E.M.’s Bertis Downs Tease

What do Elton John, The Bear, and a suburban cookie thief have in common? Jeff Gordinier—former NYT food writer, author of Hungry, and the guy who ditched a fancy tasting menu to chase a burger.

In this episode, Jeff joins the Daves to talk:

• STYX regret and punk rock salvation
• The real inspiration behind The Bear
• Why menus = mixtapes
• When Chinese food broke his brain (in a good way)
• And yes, the Toll House cookie spreadsheet was real

Plus: our new theme music debuts—four seconds of punk-rock glory from DJ Sucka MC & the Supermassive Posse.

🍜 Come for the coq au vin, stay for the Happy Days–Jesus comparison.
👍 Like, comment, or skywrite—we’re not picky.