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.

From the Stupid Gen X Tricks vault, we're bringing back a banger: our conversation with The Daily Show writer and producer Daniel Radosh. This episode is packed with behind-the-scenes stories on what it takes to make Jon Stewart laugh, the evolution of comedy, and what happens when satire runs headfirst into real-world absurdity. Plus:
•The glory days of Spy Magazine
•The fine line between clever and cringe
•The true story behind The Daily Show's poop joke wars.

If you missed this the first time, now's your chance. If you didn't -- worth the re-listen. It holds up.

Listen, laugh, and tell your therapist it's fine -- you were raised on irony.

Welcome to Gen X Fight Club—the episode where we finally go toe-to-toe on the big stuff: is Gen X nostalgia a life-affirming elixir or just small talk with shoulder pads? Were paper routes the last noble profession? Is Duran Duran a lam-pop masterpiece or an elevator jingle in eyeliner? Will Love Bring Us Together? Or Tear Us Apart? Either way, we're fighting about synth pop.

A thought-provoking exploration of generational parenting differences featuring expert insights from acclaimed author Ashley Merryman, combined with the nostalgic humor Stupid Gen X Tricks fans love.

Key Topics Covered:

• Generational parenting evolution from Gen X to present day
• Expert analysis of participation trophy culture and its actual effects
• Social media's impact on modern child development
• Research-based parenting strategies for the digital age
• Gen X childhood experiences and their lasting influence

Featured Guest: Ashley Merriman - Renowned parenting expert and author whose research challenges common assumptions about praise, competition, and child motivation in contemporary parenting.

Episode Highlights: This episode masterfully balances serious parenting insights with entertaining cultural commentary. Listeners will gain valuable perspective on navigating modern parenting challenges while enjoying nostalgic references to Gen X pop culture, including classic television, film memories, and music discussions featuring the British band Pulp.

Value for Listeners: Parents and caregivers will discover evidence-based approaches to raising children in today's complex digital landscape, while Gen X listeners will appreciate the relatable humor and shared cultural touchstones that define the generation's unique perspective on parenting.

Additional Content: The episode includes the hosts' signature tangential conversations and a preview of upcoming content featuring a spirited debate between the co-hosts.

Tags: Parenting, Generational Differences, Child Development, Gen X Culture, Digital Parenting, Research-Based Parenting, Nostalgia, Pop Culture

In this heartwarming special episode of Stupid Gen X Tricks, we dive into the viral story that's giving us all the '90s video store feels! The Daves celebrate their guest David Kraning, the video store hero of Pocatello, Idaho who proves that sometimes the most rebellious act is simple kindness.

David's story reminds us of a time when Friday nights meant wandering aisles of VHS tapes and debating which movie to rent. When his longtime customer Christina Cavanaugh, who has Down Syndrome, faced losing her beloved weekly routine due to the store's closure, David refused to let the credits roll on their friendship. Instead, he created a mini-video store inside a local grocery store, ensuring Christina and her mother could still experience the joy of picking out movies each week.

Listen as our hosts unpack this beautiful testament to Gen X ingenuity and compassion. They'll discuss how small businesses once formed the backbone of communities, the importance of maintaining human connections in our increasingly digital world, and why sometimes the most punk rock thing you can do is to stubbornly insist on being kind.

This episode will have you reaching for your old membership cards and wondering if you ever returned that copy of "Reality Bites." Don't miss this celebration of how one man's small act of kindness created a blockbuster impact in his community!

What happens when one of your childhood friends grows up to be the Wall Street Journal’s music critic?

In this episode, hosts Dave and David talk with Mark Richardson—who went from late-blooming music nerd to Pitchfork Editor-in-Chief and became one of the most respected critics working today. Mark reflects on discovering music in the '80s, writing about Bay Area turntablism in the Web 1.0 era, and shaping music criticism as Pitchfork exploded into the mainstream.

They cover:

Why year-end lists still matter

What makes a music review worth reading

How he listens to 300+ albums a year

Early contenders for 2025 Record of the Year

And what it means to really pay attention to sound

Plus: Springsteen, Harold & Maude, and a few hidden retro surprises for the true heads.

Whether you still buy vinyl or just want smarter music takes in your feed, this one’s for you.