Before Seattle became a worldwide rock phenomenon, Andrew Wood was creating his own world: theatrical, funny, ambitious, and full of music.

ThatOneGuyDerek and Poppy Funk trace Andrew's life from Bainbridge Island and Malfunkshun to Mother Love Bone's Shine and Apple. They explore his stage persona, songwriting, humor, struggles with addiction, and the loss that left so much unfinished. Along the way, they discuss Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns, the friendship behind Temple of the Dog, the connections to Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains' Would?

For Derek, this is part of the music that shaped his generation. The conversation remembers the artist as well as the tragedy, and the songs that still give listeners a way to discover him.

Next episode: The 27 Club — Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse, with a look at Robert Johnson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jonathan Brandis in the wider cultural story.

Tell us: Which Andrew Wood performance would you play for a first-time listener?

Content note: Addiction, fatal overdose, and bereavement are discussed without graphic details.

Support resource in the United States: https://findtreatment.gov/

Poppy Funk is an original AI co-host. Musical commentary is original; this episode does not include commercial song recordings or quoted lyrics

A robbery at Eddie Nash's home. Four murders on Wonderland Avenue. One survivor. And decades of conflicting accounts about what happened inside the house.

In Episode 7 of ThatOneGuyDerek & Poppy Funk Discuss..., Derek and Poppy take turns telling the story of the 1981 Wonderland Gang murders: the robbery, John Holmes's disputed role, Susan Launius's survival, witness testimony, physical evidence, the state trials, and Nash's later federal plea.

We explore the gap between the revenge theory and a complete account of the attack, while keeping Ronald Launius, William Deverell, Joy Audrey Miller, Barbara Richardson, and Susan Launius at the center of the story.

A suspenseful, non-graphic conversation about crime, fear, celebrity, and the answers that remained out of reach.

Content note: Murder, drug use, threats, and discussion of serious injuries. No graphic reconstruction of the attack.

Poppy Funk is the show's original AI co-host.

Follow the conversation on Instagram: @DerekAndPoppy

FL2K spent four days turning Bradenton Motorsports Park into one of the wildest grassroots drag-racing weekends of the year, so Derek is giving Poppy the full recap.

We cover all sixteen class champions and the stories behind the wins.

We follow the weekend from Thursday qualifying through Sunday's eliminations: Brett LaSala and Snot Rocket's 6.45 at 233 mph stick-shift record, Leroy's fight through a brand-new combination to a back-to-back Outlaw Stick championship, Mullet's late technical disqualification, and the very different challenges of Street Car, XFWD, Extreme Drag Radial, Stick Shift, AWD vs DCT, X58, No-Time, 8.50 Index and 10.00 Index racing.

This is a special racing episode of ThatOneGuyDerek & Poppy Funk Discuss... and does not replace our next regular weekly story.

NEXT WEEK: The Wonderland Gang Murders (1981) — four murders on Wonderland Avenue, the robbery of Eddie Nash, John Holmes, conflicting testimony, organized crime, and one of Hollywood's strangest unsolved murder cases.

Follow the conversation on Instagram: @DerekAndPoppy

A former Florida sheriff's deputy. Two teenage hitchhikers who somehow escaped. Two girls who didn't. And a collection of missing women's belongings that left investigators wondering just how many victims Gerard John Schaefer may have had.

In this episode of ThatOneGuyDerek & Poppy Funk Discuss…, Derek tells Poppy the disturbing story of Gerard John Schaefer Jr., the convicted murderer known as the Killer Cop, the Hangman, and the Butcher of Blind Creek.

Derek and Poppy separate documented fact from decades of speculation: the escape of Nancy Trotter and Paula Wells, the murders of Susan Place and Georgia Jessup, the evidence connecting Schaefer to other missing and murdered women, his disturbing writings, the disputed victim count, his 1973 conviction, the legends surrounding Port St. Lucie's “Devil's Tree,” and Schaefer's own violent death inside Florida State Prison in 1995.

Most importantly, this episode gives the women and girls connected to the investigation their names back while clearly distinguishing proven victims from suspected cases.

Next week: The Wonderland Gang Murders (1981) — four murders on Wonderland Avenue, the robbery of Eddie Nash, John Holmes, conflicting testimony, organized crime and one of Hollywood's strangest unsolved murder cases.

Content warning: This episode discusses murder, kidnapping, sexual violence, crimes involving minors and postmortem abuse.

Five friends go to a basketball game on a Friday night in 1978. They have plans for the next morning, a tournament they are excited to play in, and every reason to drive straight home.

They never make it.

In Episode 4 of ThatOneGuyDerek & Poppy Funk Discuss..., Derek takes Poppy through the strange and still-unresolved story of the Yuba County Five. This time, instead of their usual back-and-forth discussion, Derek tells the story from beginning to end while Poppy hears it unfold along with the audience.

Why did five friends drive deep into the California mountains when home was in the opposite direction? Why did they abandon a car that could apparently still run? Who—or what—did a stranded witness see on the mountain that night? And when searchers finally began finding answers months later, why did the evidence seem to create even more questions?

Derek and Poppy follow the disappearance of Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias from an ordinary night out to one of America's most enduring unexplained mysteries.

Some parts have reasonable possibilities. Others remain extraordinarily difficult to explain.

And one of the five men has never been found.

Content note: This episode discusses death, missing persons, exposure, starvation, and the discovery of human remains. Details are presented non-graphically and respectfully.

Did grunge really kill hair metal—or did the music business, MTV, radio, labels, fans, and a changing rock audience move the spotlight somewhere else?

In Episode 3 of ThatOneGuyDerek & Poppy Funk Discuss..., Derek and Poppy take a fair look at the story behind the old “grunge killed hair metal” headline. From big hooks and arena-sized production to darker songs and the wider Pacific Northwest scene, they ask what really changed—and why reducing either side to a stereotype misses the point.

No fake-versus-real nonsense. Big hooks and dark songs can both be real.

Some voices stay with you for life. In Episode 2, ThatOneGuyDerek and Poppy Funk, his British AI co-host, explore the life, music, and lasting impact of Layne Staley.

From Alice in Chains' early days to Dirt, Jar of Flies, Mad Season, and the unforgettable Unplugged performance, we discuss the voice, songwriting, and friendships behind the records. We also examine addiction, Layne's relationship with Demri Parrott, the loss of people close to him, and Mike Starr's later account of their final visit, distinguishing documented events from disputed stories.

For Derek, this is personal. Alice in Chains helped define his generation, and his Nutshell tattoo connects the music to his own experience of addiction and feeling alone in that struggle.

Join us for a conversation about an extraordinary musician and the songs listeners continue to carry. Which Layne Staley song has stayed with you?

Content note: Discussion of addiction, bereavement, and fatal overdose.

For addiction treatment options in the United States: FindTreatment.gov

Was Smokey Yunick a racing genius, a master of loopholes—or both?

In our debut episode, ThatOneGuyDerek and his quick-witted British AI co-host, Poppy Funk, explore the ingenuity, rulebook battles, and larger-than-life stories surrounding one of motorsports’ most fascinating characters. From unconventional race cars to the famous fuel-tank tale, we examine what’s documented, what’s become legend, and where clever engineering crosses into cheating.

You don’t need to be a racing expert to enjoy this conversation. Bring your curiosity—and decide where you draw the line.

Follow ThatOneGuyDerek & Poppy Funk Discuss… for more surprising stories, big questions, and plenty of laughs.