How A Small Town Built A Lifelong Network Of Support w/ Mike Arculin

Snow shut down the games, but it couldn’t stop the stories. We sit down with Mike Arculin to explore how Handley pride shows up in real life—from Baltimore Federal Hill to youth soccer sidelines, from neighborhood festivals to late-night group texts that span decades. What starts as a weather update turns into a tour of connection: coaching kids, building community, and keeping the Winchester bond alive even when life pulls us in every direction.

We talk music as a civic force. Mike shares how Roses N Rust found its groove, why Hoodstock has raised over a million dollars for local causes, and how classmates like Quaye and Justin keep releasing work that actually says something. If you’re a fan of live bands and guitar heroes, you’ll love the nods to Hendrix, Tom Morello, Vernon Reid, and Billy Strings—and the way those influences filter back into hometown stages.

Sports anchor the conversation too. We revisit legends from the Shenandoah Valley—Lang Campbell, Stephon Johnson, standout wrestlers—and the coaches who turned programs into pipelines. The takeaway isn’t just trophies; it’s character. Mentors create a culture where kids learn to persevere, to lead, and to give back. That same spirit drives our own projects and the people we highlight, from youth coaching to community events that bring neighbors together.

We close with local headlines and open invitations: thoughts on Winchester’s new city manager, and a heads-up on our next guest, Millbrook kicker Mason Savage. If you care about community, mentorship, sports, and music—or just want a reminder that small towns can have a big reach—this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a review with the hometown hero you’d like us to feature next.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome Back And Snowed-Out Sports
• 2:45 Celebrating Local Standouts In Track
• 5:20 Introducing Guest Mike R And Setup
• 6:50 Baltimore Life, Family, And Coaching
• 11:20 Finding Community And The Winchester Web
• 15:40 Music, Bands, And Hoodstock Impact
• 22:35 Class Of ’98 Creators And Shoutouts
• 27:15 Guitar Heroes, Live Shows, And Influence
• 35:20 The Winchester Bond That Endures
• 43:20 Sports Legends From The Valley
• 52:30 Little League Memories And Coaching Roots
• 1:01:40 Rapid-Fire This Or That With Mike
• 1:06:40 Gratitude, Mentors, And Community Work
• 1:10:55 City Manager News And Next Guests
• 1:13:40 Closing Thanks And Local Callouts

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:41

Yo, yo, what's good, Tony?

SPEAKER_02: 0:43

Yo, what's up, Chris? How are you? Hey everybody, we're back. Brothers with opinions.

SPEAKER_01: 0:49

That's it.

SPEAKER_02: 0:50

We're back again.

SPEAKER_01: 0:51

BW, like clockwork. Thursdays at seven for the most part, man. We're back. We excited for another show. Three weeks in a row now, Tony. Somebody from Hanley, the class of 98. You know, not you, not me, but they've been in the building, you know, holding it down, man. And this week we got somebody coming from Baltimore. By way of Hanley and Winchester, though, you know, the Wink City always representing, man. We have a special guest on tonight, man. So go ahead and introduce him who he is tonight, Tony.

SPEAKER_02: 1:18

Oh, the one and only Michael RQ. Yeah, big Mike. Well, I mean, he's not big, but he's big at heart.

SPEAKER_01: 1:32

You ain't want to see him on that wrestling match. But no, you're right. You're right.

SPEAKER_02: 1:38

Well. So everybody, yeah, we're gonna have a microphone and jump right into that because what local sports here, but we had a huge snowstorm, so really there was no game all week. It probably you know during the rest of the week.

SPEAKER_01: 1:54

So but we're shouting out good for Hanley. They need some days off.

SPEAKER_02: 2:00

Oh, I mean, I guess.

SPEAKER_01: 2:03

I guess the whole area is had off, right? No, nobody's played any games.

SPEAKER_02: 2:08

Nah, yeah. I I looked and I didn't find it, unless they were like way earlier in the butt well no it started on the weekend, so yeah, everything's been even up to Saturday, because uh actually contacted one of my uh players he played for me for Rise of Stars to come watch he plays it for uh Jefferson High School, and they already canceled up to Saturday because I was gonna go to a Saturday game. So area is shut down, and then we're supposed to get more, supposedly. Yeah, maybe some Saturday or Sunday. So yeah, that that'll be interesting. I don't I don't know if we're gonna get more or not. Well, I wanted to shout out already. We already did on our page, you know, Rylan Strippling. He was a former, you know, he was on the show before he committed to UVA to track. So congrats to Rylan for that.

SPEAKER_01: 3:00

Yeah, they locked that up, man, before senior year. That's dope. Well, it it is a senior year now, actually, right?

SPEAKER_02: 3:06

Oh, yeah, correct. Yeah, it's a senior year. Yeah, he already got like three state championship rings. Yeah, something he's filling up that trophy case. That's all I gotta say. He's a fan.

SPEAKER_01: 3:20

He's one of the goats for Hanley in track and field, and that says a lot because the most state titles Hanley's ever had in a sport is by far track and field.

SPEAKER_02: 3:28

Right. No, oh yeah. Most of the banners in the gym are from track and field. Well, that and what I think uh tennis. Tennis is probably up there. Tennis, but I don't know if soccer is really.

SPEAKER_01: 3:42

Well, from our from our era alone with with 90, 98, 99, and including 97, the teams with Stephanie Slaughter and Matt Frakes, man, they won like three, four state championships to individually, so that's like eight. And that was just them in those classes, they crushed.

SPEAKER_02: 4:02

Right, right. Yeah, Renee. I hope we don't get any more snow. That'll really screw us at work. He's coming. Yeah, no, I hope we get more snow out here right now. Being a UPS, of course, that gets us all behind. It just makes more work. Yeah, so wait for Mike to get on here because I'm excited just to have him jump on. We're gonna talk about what we're gonna talk about. How when you know, growing up, how basically like a tightness community, you know, and you all keep in touch. Still to this day, yeah. Still to this day, you know. Yeah, we'll we'll get into that. That's what Mike. So I think that's a that's everything to talk about now between each other and everything. Yeah, he might be he might be snuck out there in the snow. He might be. Never know. He might be. So, Chris, let's talk about uh if Hanley, they because I don't think they've officially canceled tomorrow's game between Haley and Sharanda, which they don't have school, which they probably won't, then they won't have a game.

SPEAKER_01: 5:03

Right. They're gonna either postpone it or have to cancel it because it's gonna get late in the season.

SPEAKER_02: 5:08

They they've played, I mean it was at Hanley, because I think it's just the city and county are different, but they're the county definitely won't have school. Yeah, I don't think they practiced all day, they haven't done nothing. Neither has Hanley, they haven't had practice. Yeah, uh I'll play the fifth.

SPEAKER_01: 5:29

But hey, Mike's ready to jump on. Let's get him on, man. Straight out of Candom Yards in the building, Mike R. Cooling, ladies and gentlemen. What's going on, Jens? What's going on, Mike?

SPEAKER_02: 5:42

Shooting the shit right now, waiting for you to get on.

SPEAKER_04: 5:44

I love it. Yeah, I heard you talking about the weather, nothing's going on. Everything's gonna deep freeze, huh?

SPEAKER_01: 5:50

Oh man, it's like five degrees. It says it's gonna be four degrees when I get to work in the morning, but that's it's gonna feel negative something.

SPEAKER_04: 5:57

Yeah, five degrees here this morning. I know it was similar in Winchester, man. Brutal.

SPEAKER_02: 6:02

Oh yeah, it's it's brutally cold. Yes, it's not at least it hasn't been really windy, luckily.

SPEAKER_04: 6:10

Yeah, we we we got lucky in that regard this time around, for sure.

SPEAKER_02: 6:15

Yeah, that that window cut right through. You definitely can't stand outside.

SPEAKER_01: 6:20

No, yeah. The the only difference I will say though, Tony, is where Mike's at and where I'm at, it's definitely places you got to be careful to go because it's right on the water and it's freezing. And unless you're at Jim Barnett Park and at whatever that lake is that Jim Barnett Lake, yeah, there's no wind going anywhere. Yeah, Wilkins Lake. There it is. There it is.

SPEAKER_02: 6:46

James Wilkins, I guess. There's a pond to me.

SPEAKER_01: 6:52

But yeah, no, I get it gets real cold when you're on the water, man. It's it's brutal.

SPEAKER_04: 6:56

I live right off the inner harbor, so we get it here, dude. It whips for sure. Especially like up on the soccer fields and stuff in South Baltimore, man. If you get at the wrong time, your hat can fly off your head pretty quick. So I hear you, dude. That's it's real.

SPEAKER_02: 7:10

Right. So, Mike, we'll jump right into you. You want to introduce yourself and teach your own horn, whatever, and then give them the you know the topics you want to talk about, you know, which is the community and everything.

SPEAKER_04: 7:23

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, I moved to Winchester when I was five years old in 1985, so it's home for me just like it is for you two. Lived there until what I was 24 years old, grew up in Stanley High School in 1998. I left for like 17 years. I was out in Colorado for 17 years, and then light brought me to Baltimore about four and a half years ago. So back on the Eastern Seaboard now, it's home. And yeah, ever since I've been back, it's crazy. Like social media does one thing for bringing people together, and then there's a whole other layer of it as you uh see people face to face and and making actions. You know, was that my 20-year reunion for handling my 25-year reunion and just seeing people getting back together and kind of back in the fabric of Winchester and beyond amazing, man. I mean, we talked about it a little bit yesterday when when the three of us got on just to kind of plan for today, but you know, it Winchester's one of those towns that gets in your blood and then it never leaves it, you know, right? You I was saying, but you can't take to Winchester outplaying. I mean, that is so true about our hometown. So it's cool to be this close, kind of through it from getting home and seeing folks getting back to the roots and and the beautiful parts of where we grew up, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 8:37

Right, right. And yeah, we touched on it, Mike. It's like, well, we haven't talked in how long? When was the party the last time I was like a little after high school, maybe?

SPEAKER_04: 8:45

Yeah. Yeah, but definitely definitely been more in contact with Jason, your brother Jason. You know, we graduated together and stuff, so that makes sense. But yeah, Tony, you spend a minute with you, bud. I mean, I keep up with you by cariously on Facebook and stuff like that. But Chris, you and I, you and I, like I think it was like probably seven, eight years ago, you had a bet going with me about what that Lebron was gonna run the table on Steph Curry in one of the finals. And that you were team Steph, I was team LeBron, and I came out in the losing end of that one.

unknown: 9:14

Right.

SPEAKER_02: 9:16

Right. But that is Steph got him.

SPEAKER_01: 9:18

Steph got him a couple times in the finals. I mean, neither here nor there. Of course, you know, they dream on crowd and called KD, and the rest is history, but right, right, yup, right. But yeah, man, nah, it's it's good to hear from you and see you again, man. And yeah, like Tony's saying, man, what all you got going on in your life? What's going on in Baltimore with you and the family and everything? You're out there coaching, right?

SPEAKER_04: 9:44

Yeah, definitely coaching every chance I can get. I've got a 11-year-old little boy named Ben. My daughter Lucille's seven. So we're we're in the throes of just of doing this thing. You know, it's all day, every day. And if it's not soccer, it's it's baseball. If it's not baseball, it's flag football, you know. So we got that going on. Um, my daughter just started playing soccer what three seasons ago. This last season, she really blossomed and loves it. And my son's a maniac on the soccer field, he loves it. He's he's turning into a little soccer player. And I think his his favorite sports probably play football. He's like flag and he loves NFL. And you know, I take him to racing games and stuff like that. Pretty cool. He goes lots of games and you know, during baseball season. But sports are a big part of it, man, for sure. I don't think, you know, gosh, you know, growing up I played a lot, you know, I played a lot of sports, my brother did. You know, my my my dad was was a was an athlete most of his life. So I I I think it's kind of hard to get away from it to some degree, you know what I mean? So yeah, we got that going on here, just kind of getting getting the kids through through school. We've been in Baltimore four and a half years now and took a leap of faith moving here. I was in Denver for 17 years. I work in cabinetry and I worked for for Craftmade Cabinetry for like let's let's call it eight years, and I got I got recruited to uh to the east coast by American Woodmark. So I worked for the home team. Oh, okay. Gotcha. Yeah, yeah, that's that's what brought me back. So it's cool to wake up every morning and work for the home team. So like we you know, you we talked about the Winchester Connection, man. I mean, it you can run from it without escaping it one way or another, right? So it's yeah, we we love it. I mean, Baltimore has been kind of like a blessing in disguise. My wife always wanted in Colorado. Um, we had like our friends and like, you know, our our our family, it was like our family, you know, like wink, wink, nudge, nudge family, not blood, but but friend family out there, you know, irreplaceable, and they're some of the most important people on earth. We had that, but we did not have like a community where we lived, like in our neighborhood, like we always wanted. And one of my best friends, one of my brother's best friends, Nate Carper. You guys might know the name, you might not, but Nate Nate is a 1995 graduate of Hanley. He lives in my neighborhood, he's 800 feet from me. So like, you know, we live close to each other. He I called him up when I got the job offer to move back to Baltimore. He's Baltimore, like a dude. Here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna move to my neighborhood. I flew in and witnessed it. So this place is like a a community here. So for those those in Winchester that that come into Baltimore for O's games, Ravens games are just kind of kind of do Fells Point or whatever. Like I'm right across the water from Fells. Um I'm in Federal Hill. And yeah, it's a lot of like young families, uh, people that that are here kind of have the same vision. We want the urban folks raising our kids in the city. And uh like my kids go to public school in Baltimore to great school here in the neighborhood, and uh, you know, the the community is what makes it great, man. So got she got that community she always uh wanted and couldn't get. She's got that like living here now. And um we live we live in a community amazing people. Nate and Julian Carper again, you know, two of the most amazing people that I know, and I'm I'm blessed to live like so close to them. And and Nate and I play a lot of music together. We're in a band together locally here. So we we he's the bassist, and I'm the drummer for Rose Rust. So we're kind of a like band in and around like this region, let's call it. But you know, we we are all like self-sians for the most part. The band's been a thing for like over a decade. I moved here and kind of like dumb-lucked myself into a situation where they needed a drummer and uh drummer, and I said I would learn how to play drums and join the band. They give me a lot of grace with that. But I'm having the time of my life playing playing music with those folks, and uh you just learn to play the drum.

SPEAKER_02: 13:51

Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay. I thought you could play both guitar and drum. Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 13:56

Well, a little bit help. I mean, I still wouldn't call myself a drummer, man. Like let's I I can watch real people play drums, know what they're doing, definitely like inspiring, man. But I can keep a beat, right?

SPEAKER_02: 14:09

So that that helps Yeah, I guess that's the key, keep a beat, right?

SPEAKER_04: 14:15

But yeah, yeah, that that that basically thing. Um our founder, his name's Russ Kazi Russ is like the coolest uncle we've ever had. So he kind of took us in with his vision with the band, and um he he's a self-taught guitarist and vocal. Like I think within the last 20 years, like he picked one up and just gonna learn how to play. Fantastic and able to do uh we got two girls up front and clear who are amazing. And uh Nate's bass on the our guitar player Will is fantastic. Yeah, we make a lot of noise. We play for you know for a lot of neighborhoods. Our our front man Russ, he started uh what we call Hoodstock in the neighborhood. We just anniversary stock in in the and they've raised a million dollars in 20 years for unified humanity connections out here, man. So they've done a million dollars in collaboration.

SPEAKER_02: 15:16

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_04: 15:20

Yeah, breaking up some to me.

SPEAKER_02: 15:23

Yeah, Mike, I just want to add what how's your phone sitting? Do you guys sitting down or something? Are you on your phone? Yeah, you're just breaking up a little bit because I think it last time it was one of our guests, they had to like adjust their phone or something because of the speaker or whatever on it. Let's see here, man. Is that better? Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. Yeah, yeah. All right. Uh well, but yeah, only right that we get you on, though, Mike.

SPEAKER_01: 15:48

We've spoken about it for a while, like I said, for because we've done this show almost five years coming in March. And and including the class of 98, man, just in the last few weeks, we've had who Quay and Justin Garber on, you know, musicians from the class of 98. And I know you've worked with both of them, right?

SPEAKER_04: 16:04

Yeah, two of my favorite people in the world, man. You don't get much better than those two guys. And let me tell you something, man. They both dropped albums, and like Justin was about a year and a half ago. Um just dropped one like in the last week or two, and like those two dudes are doing the thing, like they are doing it, man. It is their music is so good.

SPEAKER_02: 16:22

Anyone out the Justin did the national anthem, remember? The Colorado baseball.

SPEAKER_04: 16:29

Yeah, so so Justin, yeah, Justin sent me a video opening. I think it was no, it wasn't opening day. It was one of the days earlier in the season with the Rockies, but yeah, he he did the national anthem before Rocky.

SPEAKER_02: 16:41

Unreal. Yeah, because I forget, Chris. He told us a story like how that came about when we had him on. I can't remember exactly how he said it came about. He ended up being asked to do the anthem.

SPEAKER_04: 16:52

Yeah, it just worked out too. He crushed it. He he crushed it, man. Absolutely. And uh Justin's got some pipes on him for sure. But yeah, I'm proud of those guys, you know, they're doing the thing, and you know what what grabs me most is listening to their music and knowing them like it's coming from the right place, right? Like there's like writing music, and then there's like there's like having something to say, and uh Koy and Justin both have a lot to say, and you know, they're coming from like from genuine places, and man, it's it's like it's inspiring, right? So I know Justin's in the studio like working on some new stuff. I can't wait to hear what he has coming next. But yeah, Kway just dropped his and like I can't stop listening to it, it's so good. Quay's actually gonna be performing in Winchester again, Apple Blossom weekend. I love it. Yeah, he and Mark, he and Mark were generous. It was two apple blossoms ago. They had me come in and I set my drum set up on the riser with them when they did their thing at the I there was like a 30-minute block, quay, quay mixed, and uh I like did the drums behind him, it was a lot of fun. Right.

SPEAKER_01: 17:55

Yeah, he spoke about you when he was on the show with us, so definitely he got nothing but love and admiration and respect for you too. He's incredible, man. I mean Mark both, man. I mean, this guy's I remember.

SPEAKER_04: 18:07

For those of you that don't know, Mark is Quay's big brother, he's a DJ too. Yeah, I mean, do you guys remember being in high school and those guys would do like battle the bands and stuff, and they were like they were sampling and and doing like original, like original stuff when we were all just like we were lucky to be able to play cover tunes back then, and they were like writing their stuff at like 15, 16 years old and putting it out, crushing everybody.

SPEAKER_01: 18:29

Man, my favorite my favorite was Quay and and Eric Thomas, aka Sleazy, when they performed a Daniel Morgan in that roundabout thing when we had back in the day, like 1993. That was awesome, man. They we were little, but I remember that they did a great, great music performance, and I was like, Man, this is dope. Like, yeah, and Quay, Quay just kept going.

SPEAKER_04: 18:51

Yeah, oh yeah, you're not you're not stopping Quay when he gets going. It's right, yeah. I just saw Eric, Eric had, I guess when the snow was happening earlier this week, Eric had like some some video footage going, kind of showing folks down. I forget what street it was, but Eric was kind of guiding the the folks in Winchester where to drive and where not to the other day. He's like a steward of the community, right?

SPEAKER_01: 19:11

So yeah, he he sells cars too. He does his thing in the car dealership world.

SPEAKER_04: 19:16

Yeah, yeah. Well, the last time I saw him, I think he he had just switched from one dealership to another, and he was happier, I guess, wherever he went. So he seemed to be doing really well for himself. So I love hearing that.

SPEAKER_01: 19:27

Yeah, shout out to the class of 98 in the building, man.

SPEAKER_04: 19:30

Yeah, it's incredible. Like there's folks, and like we talked yesterday, that's the the connectedness about all this and all the different classes and like what people do and have done, and like we just talked about Quay and Justin, and like I was thinking, like, I think what class of 2000 Chris Rogers moved to moved to Hollywood and the show Halton Catch Fire was like his, he he wrote the show. That was like his show. Really? Yeah, and my neighbors growing up were the Clemers. I don't know if you guys remember like Anders or Anders and Philip Clemmer lived across the Street for me. Mrs. Clemmer, I think she worked in Hanley for a while. Their mom worked in Hanley for a while, but Philip Clemmer moved to Hollywood show Chuck was hit. Right? So, like we had another Henley guy like doing the show Chuck back in the day, and he would use last names from people around like Winchester area for like the names of his characters and stuff. So he'd be watching Chuck, and like you'd hear last names and be like, I know that last name, but that that's the last name from somebody in Winchester. Like about the folks on the show all the time, which is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02: 20:29

No, also I didn't know that because I know we got plenty, oh uh people musicians, for example. You know, a lot of musicians have come from Hanley and doing big things and actors and getting into Hollywood. I think we got a few, yeah. So that's pretty wild.

SPEAKER_04: 20:46

Yeah, cool. Corey Britz, man. Cory Britz is doing his thing with Bush and their music, and he's a solo artist. And his sister Kara uh sings with Blake Shelton and on the voice, and she's she's incredible. And and we yeah, you know, there's this this guy you might know him. His name's Jason Dinges. He's in this band called Honduran.

SPEAKER_02: 21:06

He's been in a few bands. I know they I think he's kind of out of that now. Like, he's got a kid, he's a so he he might dabble a little bit, but Mike, did you ever perform a bat battle of the bands at Hanley?

SPEAKER_01: 21:20

I did actually. My band. I don't remember who I performed back then.

SPEAKER_04: 21:24

Yeah, we got disqualified. I threw a CD out in the crowd, hit somebody in the head with it, and uh I we got disqualified the one year I was like, I knew I was like, we're gonna place this year. No, we didn't, but uh we did. Yeah, I was in I had a band in high school called Gravity, and it was me and Thomas Glass, Eric Smith, and Nick Klein. So he was in our band towards the end of it too, and Thomas and Amanda are now actually married, happily married, and uh live in Richmond, which is cool.

SPEAKER_02: 21:50

Yeah, because I was gonna say, because then Corey, I want to say, played Nirvana with the Corey Brits that during one of the talent shows or whatever. Well, I want to say it was him, but didn't Nirvana, of course, he was doing rape because that was a big one. I never thought they were like, Don't say it, like, and he still played it, and of course he was he was saying it.

SPEAKER_04: 22:15

I believe it, man. And I remember when that when that song popped and it was a very controversial. I think they had a ring and called Waze Me or something like that that they they could play on the radio. You couldn't say the word, you couldn't say the R word. But yeah, that checked it out, man. But yeah, Nate, so you know Nate Carperos is talking about his band was in battle of the bands most years, like they they clean up most years and like win it, right? Nate Nate was like virtuoso and guitar to young name. He's he's every bit a good, every bit as good of a bass player as he is a league guitar player now. So like yeah, Nate's Nate's band would come in and just clean everybody up. I remember that, but it's like well, that's not fair. Like, let somebody else win it, right?

SPEAKER_02: 22:51

So right, right. All right, Mike, I got a uh an audience member of fan got a question. He wants to know who inspired you to play music the most, and also who's the best guitarist, in your opinion.

SPEAKER_04: 23:05

Who inspired me to play music the most? And what was the second part of that? Who's the best guitar?

SPEAKER_02: 23:10

The best guitar all time. Who's your who you have as the goat?

SPEAKER_04: 23:16

So I'm gonna go back to Justin Garber for a minute and tell a story. I remember being at his house, I was at a sleepover when I was like probably my maybe younger than my son. I was probably nine years old. And me and Justin and his brother Aaron were hanging out, and Mark, his dad, Mark, was was a was a fabulous musician. And Mark was was gearing up for he had like a solo gig of pickers, I think, or something like that. And I remember sitting up in in Mark's room and watching him like warm up for this gig and listening to him sing and play. And Mark Garber, Justin's dad, was a big was a big beginning for me and my my interpreted car.

SPEAKER_02: 23:50

Nice. Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 23:51

And then I was at Jake and Charlie's with with my family one time for dinner. And I think I was probably in like second or third grade, and there was a band setting up at Jake and Charlie's. If you guys remember that place, yeah, you go over there and watch the game. We were watching the game, and this band was warming up. They did Revolution by the Beatles, and I watched this dude like do the intro and like start singing and playing it. And those are the two times I was like, you know, I want to do that, man. Like for sure. And then I think maybe maybe other inspiration was like being younger and like hearing Jimi Hendrix for the first time, hearing Purple Haze for the first time. Like in remember, Purple Haze was one of the ones, and then hearing Stairway to Heaven, like the intro to Stairway to Heaven as a kid, and just saying, I want to be able to play that kind of stuff, right? So that would probably be the the the inspiration I can go back to, and maybe as like the core of all of it. Man, best guitarist of all time. Oh, good grief. I I don't even know how to answer that without getting like people chasing after me and screaming at me. That's so like that's so subjective, right? There's a lot of different kinds of guitarists. Yeah, a lot of different kinds.

SPEAKER_01: 24:52

I would tell you, like you kind of said the goat, though. I think you probably said the goat. Hendrix is the goat, man. Yeah, I think everybody would agree.

SPEAKER_04: 25:00

Nobody would agree. I think so. I would tell you, like, watching like watching musicians play, like recently, like uh Billy Strings these days blows me away, man. I I can't get another one.

SPEAKER_01: 25:12

Listen to his name. That's a fire name.

SPEAKER_04: 25:14

Yeah, his he's a fire, like bluegrass guy. I'm not even like bluegrass that much, guys, but like I love I love Billy Strings and I love his band. That guy lately has been blowing me away. And I think watching guitar players play, my wife and I went on a date and saw this dude back in Denver back in the day. His name's Junior Brown, and he played a double-neck guitar. One was a slide and one was a regular. And that dude, like, I've never seen anybody do guitar work like Junior Brown. So I've honestly like probably watching Junior Brown play, and really just like it blew me away. I never heard of the dude. It was like my my wife's like, I got tickets to see this guy. You want to go? And I was like, Yeah, man, it's a market go hang out and watch a lot of music I'm in, right? So Junior Brown, and then God, I mean, I've I've toured around with a lot of bands in my life. I I love watching Trey Anastasio play guitar, love watching life and fish. Like, I love watching that man play guitar. He's he's one of my like personal favorites is to watch Noodle Around and do his TV. But I would say those, those guys, man. And then one more, one more through through time and space that that blew me away and still does. Vernon Reed, man. Vernon Reed from Living Color was like out of this world like anybody else back when we were like kids playing, right? So uh nice. That guy, that guy's the pretty boso in his own light. And I would say those guys were the ones that's watching and seeing through time that like blew me away the most. Great question.

SPEAKER_02: 26:37

Yeah, yeah. Well, I would like who I've seen best live is Tom Morello from Rage. Like that guy, like when I we I first saw him, I remember going and watching him with Wu-Tang clan back at it was at Merryweather Post. And I took Jason, you know, my brother, and he just like his jaws just drop like watching him play. I mean, the guy's amazing, like you know. So to me, he's the best I've seen.

SPEAKER_04: 27:04

Tom Rilla, bad man, dude. Yeah, you just went and saw like corn in those guys this last fall, didn't you?

SPEAKER_02: 27:12

Yes, but yeah, took my boys and said they were curious, they were just like, um, they're like, Dad, we want to go to a show, but you know, one of them bringing up my oldest, and then of course went to New York visit the same guy, but yeah, man, that corn's amazing. And then of course we saw System of a Down, too, and that's that's another amazing, awesome game.

SPEAKER_04: 27:38

Yeah, Surge Sirge Tonkians he comes from a different place, man, with what he with the way he does.

SPEAKER_02: 27:43

Yeah, dude, he's yeah, I I gotta say if he's insane, too. Like yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 27:51

We did Oz 98. I think what I think it was 98 and a year of graduate. Yeah, it was like right after graduation. A bunch of us went, like they were on the the stage in the parking lot. It was um it was funny because I was there, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 28:03

They were on the since it was on the second stage. It's like, yeah, god man, we're telling our age, we're telling our age right now. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_04: 28:11

You know, I you know, I every once in a while I can wake up in the morning, my back doesn't hurt like a couple times a year, bro. I get it, like happens a few times a year, right? But uh yeah, that was that that was they were on the second stage. Motorhead was like on the second stage, and and like all like the best bands on the on the bill runk in the second stage is crazy.

SPEAKER_02: 28:32

But yeah, I remember well, since I'm a doubt, I think that's when they were breaking on the scene.

SPEAKER_04: 28:38

Yeah, I think spiders that just come out as like a as a as a single or something like that. You're right. They were just yeah, yeah. That definitely definitely dates us a little bit, right?

SPEAKER_02: 28:48

Right, right. Well, now that you say that though, Mike, I just saw where Sharon Osborne is thinking of bringing back Oz Fest in 2027, wants to bring it back. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_04: 29:01

I think it's not gonna be the same without Ozzy there, but we all know that.

SPEAKER_02: 29:06

Oh yeah, yeah. Oh well, I mean, what his last few ones though, he did, I don't even think he performed. Did he not?

SPEAKER_01: 29:14

Yeah, I think I went the one that I don't even think he performed, but just for him to be a to his presence alone, you know what I mean, can mean a lot. Yeah, yeah, that wouldn't hurt, man. Let me ask you guys this. Who has a better band from Virginia than Dave? Does anybody?

SPEAKER_04: 29:32

I'm trying to think, man. I mean, god, Dave, I mean Dave Matthews is awesome. Jeez, that that that guy's still writing relevant music and just doing his thing, right? Isn't that amazing?

SPEAKER_01: 29:41

Like Charlottesville in the house, baby.

SPEAKER_04: 29:43

Oh, yeah, I much love for them.

SPEAKER_01: 29:45

I'm trying to, but that might be the biggest band we have. I'm trying to ask y'all give because I could be wrong. Yeah, I mean, Pharrell's Virginia boy, yeah, but not a band, but yeah, I mean, nerd, nerd's a band, but yeah, there's a lot of musicians from Virginia, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 30:00

But I mean, like bands. There's a okay, so one of my favorite rock bands from from Virginia, you guys might remember the song Lowe, but Low was kind of what broke him out. But Cracker, man, Cracker is the real deal.

SPEAKER_02: 30:10

Oh, they're from Virginia. I didn't know. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 30:14

Yeah, Cracker. They they had the Lowe was like their breakout tune back in back in the day. But uh, yeah, Cracker is like still writing amazing music, and they're like they're like a musician's favorite band out of Virginia. I know, like Adam Dirts and Counting Crows, like talks about them all the time and how they inspire him to write stuff, which is crazy. But like, I'm trying to think. That's a great question, Chris. Wow, other Virginia bands that that are good.

SPEAKER_01: 30:39

There was a local one local one Dave Matthews is so legendary.

SPEAKER_04: 30:42

Like, like, man, monolith came up when we were just about to say dude, those guys are freaking rad, man.

SPEAKER_02: 30:50

They're still playing, bro. I didn't know, like, I started seeing them on yeah, they're still doing their thing. So good they have the one, the one guitarist, what band he plays in a big band. They're lead.

SPEAKER_04: 31:04

I know the the Bayless brothers started monolith and Tim Arrows. Tim Arts Arts, Tim Arts was their guitar player for a while. I don't know who like who's in the lineup now, but man, I'm like those guys were awesome, and they they they like they did it and for for a long time. You're telling me they're still playing, that's great to hear.

SPEAKER_02: 31:21

Yeah, I'm gonna say, God, I'd have to look it up now. But yeah, they're one with a like he's in a bigger group or something. He does both.

SPEAKER_04: 31:29

So yeah, there's a kid, there's a kid from Winchester, he was a guitar player for Havoc.

SPEAKER_02: 31:34

That might be Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 31:36

I that might be right. He's right. But he he he was in Havoc and he might have just gotten recruited to be in another band. But there's a kid out of Winchester who's definitely doing it. These connections, dude. I mean, we got we got kids from this little town in the Shenandoah Valley that go off and do stuff, guys. Like, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02: 31:52

Yeah, it is, man. It is. But let's get back to top. Well, let me see. Lee Lewis here, class of 94 in the house. Said Junior Brown had a song highway patrol. Nice, you know that one. Yeah, so he, yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_04: 32:08

You know who the Junior Brown is. People know about the Junior Brown experience, man. That guy is that guy is insane. Yeah, he shows up to the gig and he wears this big, like, what do they call it, like a 10-gallon cowboy hat? He's got like it's like he's uh a used car salesman from Dallas or something, man. He gets up on stage like geeky looking dude in this like suit and this freaking 10-gallon like cowboy hat. He gets up into shreds, man. It's kind of a Johnny Cash feel to him or whatever, but that gets it. Oh, all right.

SPEAKER_02: 32:37

See, I got I never I gotta check him out. See, if it wasn't for you now and my brother Jason, now I wouldn't know nothing about any new musicians. Keeps me in the loop. I love it, man.

SPEAKER_04: 32:51

Keeps keeps me feeling young, man. I mean, I don't I don't see there's a few days a year awake in my back, doesn't hurt, but I like to try to feel young, man. Music's a good way to do that, right?

SPEAKER_02: 33:00

Exactly. So what I want to ask you, because uh sorry I'm having listened to your bed, but what do you got? Do you guys do a lot of covers or do you write your own stuff?

SPEAKER_04: 33:08

Mostly covers. You know, when we're playing out, we're doing we're doing just crowd favorites. We so our our band mate dot uh she's drum doctor dot. You can look her up on on Spotify or whatever, drum doctor dot. She's amazing. So her name's Dorothy Adam Adamson Holly, Holly Adamson. I'm gonna kill me for not getting her last name right, but uh to me, but yeah, drum doctor dot check her out. She she does a lot of spoken word stuff, a lot of stuff on her own accord, and then she wrote a handful of songs that we that we put music to with her as a band, and and that's all original stuff that that that my band played on with her, and that's that's all her. Okay, yeah, she's amazing. It's drum drum doctor dot, and it's called Unboxed. You can get it by, but that that's full bands. So we all were in the studio, and it's not individually tracked, we were all there mic'd up like in unison playing together. And that that's what that's like that's a bunch of originals that Roses and Rust is on. I can say that. And then everything else that Dot does is like that's her her doing her stuff. She has a lot of people she collaborates with in Baltimore, but man, she's amazing. And she is in a new band called the Dirty D R T Y Dirty Blues Band. It's like a new trio that she's in. And she's doing harp and and and singing. And I think she's playing, I think she's playing a djembe on that project too. But she she she plays a djembe a lot, and she just does a lot of amazing stuff in and around the community too. She's the pillar of the community, and you know, she she leads away with a lot of stuff in Baltimore for for good reasons, man. I mean, you know, one of our strongest social justice warriors here and and all that kind of stuff, too. So we're we're very privileged and and fortunate to have her making music with us, man, for sure.

SPEAKER_02: 34:52

Right, nice, nice. So let's get back to the original topic a little off of with music, which is fine. We all love that. So talk about how close knit you know the Winchester community is now we're all into like look, we're we haven't talked. It's like we've been talking every day. It's like that's the great thing is that when you see somebody to me from the community or see them after years, it's like you you know you never lost touch, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04: 35:22

It's incredible, man. We were joking about it yesterday. It's like the the the dysfunctional brother and sisterhood that comes together, but we all love each other, like through thickens and bad right. And no matter where you go, man, Chris, I mean you can say this, you live in Brooklyn. I've been I've been in two states and not back in Virginia since I was 24, but like people seek you out, right? So if they're up in your area and they're from our town, they're gonna seek you out and and try to get some some FaceTime with you. And my wife noticed it. She's like, Man, she's like, what is it with people from Winchester? Like, they come out to Denver and like make time for us and come see us and visit. And there was always Winchester folks doing it. Kid from my class, Ryan Bain, him and his wife came out and did like a two-week-long camping excursion. We like we caught up with him and did some camping in Colorado Springs with him one summer.

SPEAKER_01: 36:08

Yeah, I graduated with his sister, Robin.

SPEAKER_04: 36:10

Yep, Robin, yeah, Robin, Ryan, and then I think Brandon is the oldest brother. Brandon might have been in your class, Tony.

SPEAKER_02: 36:16

Yeah, maybe.

SPEAKER_04: 36:18

Not sure. Well, awesome family, but like, you know, they they made the effort, and Ryan lives right up the road from me now in Haver Degrace, Maryland. So we're both in Maryland now, but David Ellis, man, David Ellis came out and visited with his wife years ago. They came out for Sergio Simpson at Red Rocks and like hit us up and visited me in Brooklyn.

SPEAKER_01: 36:36

Actually, in Manhattan, he came to my job in Manhattan. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_04: 36:39

He was in Tennessee.

SPEAKER_01: 36:40

Ellis pulls up, man.

SPEAKER_04: 36:42

It's so cool, right? Like making the effort to come and see folks. And then, you know, my neighbor growing up, Carrie Gibson, who's like a sister to me, like you know, through a snowstorm in Denver, came and like like broke bread with us at my house one night. And it's just it just always happens that way, man. Like, people will make time. To any of us telling you, like Jason and I tried to meet up uh when came through, and like we we just we make time for each other. My wife called it out. She said, I've I've never been around like a group of people who are this invested in in each other, as like people from your hometown. Like, she noticed it, like when we were dating, right? Even coming up through like the early the early early times of us like dating and all that stuff. She she caught on to that real quick. And it is amazing, man. And and like no matter where you are, it's gonna happen. You you could be halfway around the world, and if somebody from Winchester knows you're out there, they're gonna they're gonna try to meet up with you. Actually, I'm trying to remember who told me the story. They were somewhere like in Europe recently, and like somebody had a Winchester shirt on, and they they went up and like talked to him. It turned out they knew a bunch of people from our town and like had like a conversation, ended up eating dinner together that night.

SPEAKER_02: 37:47

Wow, that's that's crazy.

SPEAKER_04: 37:49

Yeah, they grew up like half an hour from each other and still had family Winchester, like you know, talked about it. It's just this everywhere, and then you know, the folks that go away, like it, you know, it just seems like there's always that that that pride, and you know the the Hanley pride thing. I think a lot of us probably like laughed a little bit about that when we were coming up, like that's a little ridiculous or whatever, but like it's a thing, right? And we saw Stephen Daly, like Stephen Daly get in love, Chris. You yeah, I think like, yeah, man, kid from kid from our towns, like you know, on the on the IU football team just won the national championship, and then you've got Nase Johnson. Is that his name? Nase Johnson from two-time Super Bowl winner. Unbelievable, man, riding in the float at Apple Blossom and meeting people, and like you know, yeah, you can pin into the voice, and like you're gonna see Kara Britz on the voice, guys. She's one of the singers like that that backs people up when they're singing on the voice. Like, she's she's a Winchester girl, right? And her brother Corey, we talked about him earlier, like you know, just uh doing doing amazing things and and always having time to come back and and rekindle just relationships and and good times in town when they're back, and they always have time for people, and like right, you know, that doesn't happen everywhere, guys. I just it doesn't, man. The older I get, the more I realize it's a lot of people I know.

SPEAKER_01: 39:06

They're like, I don't care about my hometown or none of the people. I'm like, all right, yeah. I'm like, I might not live there, but you you can damn sure bet yourself if anybody from Winchester comes around. I try my best to see most of them, it's hard sometimes, but you know what I mean? Yeah, they definitely hit me up, y'all come to New York. Oh, I'm in New York. I just hate when they're already here or something, and I'm like, dude, what you doing? I'm like, working all day, I didn't know you was here. But the great thing is, you hit me up, man. Like I said, David Ellis pulled up on me at my job with his wife.

SPEAKER_02: 39:34

Yeah, and the great thing is you make time for it because for to meet up with them, and you know, that's an awesome thing, like what Mike's talking about. And like you said, Mike discussed it a little bit, you know, like in school, we probably didn't get along with everybody, blah blah, you know what I mean? Like, but as we get older, it's like now it's like you said, it's just everybody gets along, you know what I mean? Like it's just a mutual respect, and like you say, I think we're honestly speaking. this is this what handley pride is might be it yeah like everybody asks like what is handley like well maybe it's keeping that connection for our lives with people from which you know I think I think that's that that's probably that's probably touching on the spirit of it right and like um yeah it's just it's refreshing to see man I know uh somebody that blows me away with his post every day you guys I'm sure you guys follow him too but like I grew up with Andy Vipperman love the guy man like he was always just such a stand up dude and and they're kind of seeing him kind of pull pull up people we know together like every day even in tough and trying times he's such a neutral like calming perspective on stuff and seeing people like Vip stepping up and like just like kind of putting good positive messages out there and just like seeing the best of our community like shining like that too like it makes me want to do better every day man like like to seeing people like that and I'm hoping that dude mayor someday of the town man I think he'd be a great mayor honestly yeah it could possibly happen I guess there we go yeah we've had him on the show a few times you've had Vip on the show yeah oh yeah he was one of our first guests like when we first started yeah he's that that's that's important man he's he's an he's an important one for that community for sure and and that's just another that like that brings because I never knew like Andy's older than me I was one of those he was a C so like you said like I didn't really know Andy or the Portlows or TreyCon but now later in life like now we talk like we're best you know what I mean like everybody just we had that common bot you know hate you know be growing up in Winchester.

SPEAKER_04: 41:40

Yep so it's just weird how it works you all just talk to each other like you've been friends for years you know I remember watching speaking speaking of the partlows and all and and and sports and all that kind of kind of going back to that I remember I had my TV on it was probably like 2006 maybe I was out in Colorado and arena football was a big thing and it was it was the craziest game because it was I think the Arizona Rattlers were playing the Colorado Crush I think it was Brian Plow's coaching and Lang Campbell was quarterback and for the rattlers yeah here I'm watching TV and I'm like holy crap man like that's Brian Plow and Lang Campbell I'm watching on TV right now in Denver like like compete two of the goat two of our goats two of our goats man like how about I think Brian still does arena football I'm gonna say I'm gonna think I wanna I want to think with the crush for a while like they were they were good man I think LAE had ownership in them when I was out there yeah their quarterback was good this dude John John Dutton I think was their quarterback at the time and like he was one of the best quarterbacks in arena football and it was fun to watch man but it's definitely again the handley pride thing you're like I I know those guys man come on like that's own team right there. Now I was conflicted that game because I I didn't know to root for because they were like like on opposing teams I was like I I gotta throw the flag in and not root for anybody to just go but hell no gotta go for my boy Lang.

SPEAKER_02: 43:10

There you go I love playing so I'd go for the player over the coach Lang actually made the lead I mean he was with the Cleveland Browns for the Browns and the Falcons he played with them in five seasons okay incredible right yeah Lang's that guy like so hey you make the scout team whatever that's say you know on a professional level he was out there throwing throwing passes to uh Julio Jones and all of them yep isn't that good man I can I can't even imagine yeah just I I've never really gotten a chance to sit and talk to him about like his his experiences with that but I'm sure he's got tons of stories to share man and Walter Payton football player of the year in the whole country isn't that something with that sink in we do we got a lot of people that have done well in sports man yeah it's cool there's a kid he might have been younger than you uh Johnny Gilkerson I think he was like oh yeah he made it pro when I moved up here he was playing for for the New York Red Bulls man yeah how about that his his brother uh Sean was was my year yep yep and like there we go guys the more we talk I mean it's just it's all all this all this greatness coming out of the Shenandoah Valley it really is greatness connections and and Mike like since me and Chris have started this you know five years ago we didn't know how this would go but the support we get from people is amazing.

SPEAKER_04: 44:38

Like you talk about from the community and they let they love it and you know we're always getting because we feel like we're not doing much but once you go out again and people see us then they you know they'll mention oh you are doing great keep doing what you're doing and it's just that support for every you know everybody wants to support everybody if you well yeah well you know my perspective on that because I've been following you guys since you started it and it's an amazing thing and we talked a little bit last night about it like look these are the these are the voices of the folks in your community and beyond right we we are folks we all grew up together we are part of a united community and a separate community collectively at this at this time right and like look the world's crazy place right now and I'm not I'm not I'm not talking about anybody leaning any certain way or whatever I I don't care about that right now but what I want to say is like what you guys have on here what people have to say on here regardless of anything like people need to listen up because we're we're folks talking this isn't there there's nothing biased about anything anybody's saying on here it's all true and genuine coming from the heart I've heard a lot coming out of your station that I nod my head and just say man like the these conversations need to happen more community to community man like brothers with opinions is a great start like people need to take this and replicate it in every every town in the country and beyond and like this is where honest conversation comes from and where honest perspective comes from people need to know what the heck people are really feeling in every community right and like I get to feel what people are feeling watching your show and it's genuine and like what you guys doing is a gift for anybody that's willing to give it its time to listen to it guys like it's not easy what you're doing but it's important man.

SPEAKER_02: 46:24

I mean like we're we're getting further and further and further away from like what what I feel like people people feel like they're further they're further away than from what truth is than they've ever been in their lives right they don't know what to believe anymore everything's like obfuscation it feels like and look like you guys uh don't have that on this platform right it's all kept a 100 down here so hats off to you guys for doing it and like I say people from the community it's starting everything starts with the community it's got to start grass stuff stuff needs to be grassroots and be real and intentional and genuine from there and supportive and loving and then people need an identity at a grassroots level and I think that's where where it blossoms out and where where things get better for everybody man but you gotta have strong roots you have to right my appreciate man appreciate those kind words man and that's how we started this right you know for the community you know show people love and all that that's really why we started this so man I really appreciate those words man I remember watching the like the first one we were talking yesterday it was like you and Zeb and Chris and Wayne Rush right guys like yeah that was the beginning yep I think yep it was it was right in and around I think when when uh when George when George Floyd happened you guys had one of your first episodes right around yep and uh people need people needed to hear like what what what folks were thinking about that not what they're hearing on the TV and I remember like that was refreshing for me man I'm just like all right like awesome this is what this is great feedback Chris like this is great yeah we always ask people to give feedback and most people don't say anything except for maybe like oh that's cool or they give a thumbs up right well you know yeah now we appreciate it man definitely it's true though like I just want to give a shout out to like the both of you guys too like we're talking about community all the greatness out of the Shenandoah Valley and like Chris hoops for hope things been amazing to follow what you what you bring back to the community with that and I hope that this gets bigger and stronger like as time goes on and hope more and more people are receptive and and shit man I think I might even next time you do that I'll probably come into town for it.

SPEAKER_01: 48:30

No that'd be awesome man especially now that you're in Baltimore.

SPEAKER_02: 48:34

Yeah right right you're telling you great great flashback every year from LA just to be the DJ for it yeah unreal yeah yeah Tony your coaching and your mentoring and Daniel Morgan and Hanley and everything in between too man like you're do you're doing the right things and congratulations to both your boys I know uh Christian's the one that's actively in Hanley right now playing basketball right yes yes sir yeah yeah just saw that he was like player of the month is that right or player of the week yeah something like that I'm butchering it I know I'm butchering it oh you you no he was player of the week player of the week I mean that's like these on the map dude like that popped up in my feed not from you it was like from somewhere else and like I definitely might have been that uh dimes report that does a great job uh don't know who runs it but they do a good job giving yeah they keep it on the hush like they have the Epstein files or something but it's called the dimes report and they show up to all the basketball kids in the valley yeah whoever does it does a great job though so shout out to them too you know hey they do a great job but I appreciate man yeah Christian he's doing his thing yeah he works real hard and it's good and I appreciate the coward the coaching you know hopefully our danger morgan season starts here soon this nose pushed everything back for basketball yeah but well you know man what you're doing is important and I mean I know the three of us can think back to times where there were there were coaches that you know impacted us in big ways and like it's you know if you do it right you can leave an imprint on somebody and that you can help shape their character man so yeah like you're just proud of you man proud of both you guys thank you I mean uh I just want to give back you know to the community and give them opportunities I never had or we never had is kid you know all these opportunities out here but just ultimately just make them good human beings you know better men you know that's the ultimate goal in life make better humans you know sports is just we all know that the ball stops bouncing or the you know what I mean it's it's gonna stop sometime yeah so I do see like you know Nick Sardellas Nick Sardellas man another class in 98 one of one of my best friends growing up like proud of him he he's taken the wrestling programs on in Winchester and really just like beefed that up man like we didn't have what was it we had a state champion in 1985 Richard Devoso right and then like they didn't have another state champion until I think RC and Matt RC Simmons and Matt Schutz did it yeah and Freddie Bates and yep and and like you know coach Steve Badrecki came into our program my junior year with with with Tony Rayburn and they just they completely flipped the program on its head and just I mean you know they they turned into a beast real quick but Nick you know Nick Nick was an incredible wrestler and I think he was like maybe fourth or fifth in state his senior year but he I know he he took the wrestling program and like flipped it on his head and kind of built on greatness I I walked the hallways I was back for took my son to the Hanley invitational like three or four years ago and dude how many state champs do we have now man there's like several there's like uh like uh like eight nine or ten like state champs out of Hanley or something like that like I I'd have to look in yeah you might you could be right I've I might be I might be I might be uh blowing it up a little bit but like there's several like Nick Nick Sardellas has been a big part of that like so grateful that he like took his passion and and ran with it with the community because like he did all that while having two kids right and I think out his son Alex is like crushing it this year. It's great to see yeah yeah Nick's a great dude I I see yeah he he does get because I think he also is with the red line that wrestling the cat here where like I so yeah he does that as well.

SPEAKER_04: 52:09

Yeah I think he was a big part of starting that up if not the person that did I you know he he's a big part of of all that stuff and it's it's it's incredible man.

SPEAKER_02: 52:18

That dude Richard DeVoso by the way speaking of the handly the handley connection and the shin the Shindel Valley greatness he was the state champ in 85 and he came back and he'd roll around with us like maybe once a year or something in the wrestling remote is kind of like he's a lot older than all of us but he was like the the like I guess intercollegiate wrestling I don't know what what the association is but like two years ago he was given an award he was the wrestling man of the year for like the nation he went to Hanley yeah Richard Tavoso Tavoso he was a state champion he was wrestling's man of the year like two years ago guys like wow okay isn't that crazy like yeah that that is it is yeah just for his contributions to the sport like you know throughout his life and like what he's given back and like he I think he's just a great dude like obviously but uh yeah again like that man of the year at saying something you know yeah but like that's all like that's all our that's our folks man that's everybody from the Shinando Valley like it it's incredible guys it really is cool hell yeah and you said their names man shout out to RC and then definitely shout out to my class man Freddie and Matt Shutz man they dominated back then they i'm telling you we had we got blessed to have so many great sports teams from our era especially 98 99 but Matt and Freddie so and RC too but RC was the class of 2000 with Lang and them but yeah man they they dominated I never heard that guy's name you mentioned before I remember yeah yeah you know it's funny man uh like earlier tonight one of my best friends in the world he went to Sherando you guys might know the name Ben Whitaker you know Ben Whitaker he's one of he's he's my brother from another mother and like he called me around like six tonight the cas like it was like I gotta hop off I gotta do a place hopefully he's tuned in now but yeah Ben's Ben's a Shrando he's a Shrando Hall of Fame guy and he played football at Towson University back in the day and he's another one went off and did great things out out of out of the Shenandoah Valley but we were talking about the wrestling he was I I just met Cale Sanderson this last week and he's like Penn State's coach and he's like he's the greatest of all time never lost an NCAA match and then his his program is like incredible but yeah I saw that picture of y'all and Ben was like Ben was like who would you say like the the best wrestler you ever like who's the best wrestler you were ever around personally and like I man I gotta get proper like our RC RC simmons and and Matt are probably the two best wrestlers I was ever around in my life man like oh my god I like I'm gonna tell you this about RC I never once since since the time I was like what six seven years old knew him and wrestled with him I never once saw RC get put on his back he never got put on his back ever I never saw that dude get put on his back ever wow wow like what he's a brother for another mother few man like we grew up together one of my best friends of all space and time too yeah him and Kurt all the love to RC and Kurt for sure man and uh but that's found down a lot of people in this show yeah because that's that Winchester connected this baby make sure these stand well we do that's what we do that's what we do that's right we always bring it up when we get a chance and it's the Falcons on on my side on the left the Broncos on the right and the Jets in the middle baby we bring it up and that's where we we actually all of us remember each other so well because we was all out in them same fields up there in the park practicing and thinking we was all the best little superstars out there well I got lucky I had Adam Brathwaite and them on my team but yeah man it was fun but I'll ask this question Mike you were on the Broncos team that beat us in the Super Bowl I was not on that team um that was the year after Jason was Robert Fowler so I was wondering if you were still on the bro when they beat them upset them that like I guess no remember Jason was the people complained because Jason was in a higher grade than all of us and we were still in it but those guys were playing Daniel Morgan they they were I was Morgan Mike and them I remember well no I remember I remember because Jason's young for I know but his grade he his grade was with Mike and Andrew Mudden all them so they went to Daniel Morgan to play and he stayed in Little Lee with us so people was like what and him and Robert Fowler killed school early but what I'm getting at is in literally the funny thing is because he was a big kid people thought he was too old like parents were complaining like he's too old why is he out there and I'm me and my parents were just like he's literally a year younger than everybody else out there but just dominating I remember that because I think my my dad was coaching that Broncos team he was still coaching and I I was I I moved on I think it was like we were part of the Hanley freshman football program at that point in time. That's right back came back to watch that game I watched Jason and Robert get the dub definitely saw them get the dub yeah yeah they they they were they were a duo for sure in that backfield there's yeah I was you know I was I was I was the quarterback of the team the year before the the Broncos team but I was really good at handing the football off to talented people that made a lot of really big plays that's really good at hand that's all hey that's all I didn't do much man like Paul Paul Carpenter did most did all the did all the dirty one man Paul and Philip Swanson and and RC was on that team like those guys I just handed the ball off and like made it look good man like look they uh when I was in the Falcons bro like we had an all-star team but now I didn't look we were just hard head I had javon hooker domino johnson right who had like Jason Woods like was all over and these guys ended up at Haley like great play dude in little league I guess it was coaching or we did dude and that's all I did too that's I I just handed the ball off that's all I threw two passes and they were both completed to Jason. There you go.

SPEAKER_04: 58:06

I remember my first year first year playing little league football we were playing the Falcons I didn't know who Domino was but I remember like I was I was playing defense that year or something and I remember coming around trying to make a tackle and like next thing I knew like I was seeing the freaking like you know it was like I was looking up at the Pleiades or something man like a bunch of stars hit my eyes and I'm looking up at the sky and I fall on my butt I ran right into Domino Johnson.

SPEAKER_02: 58:30

Domino freaking laid me out and I was like that's the biggest boy I've ever run into in my life dude the coaches would because I played I played linebacker on D and Spencer Wilkins was on that team with me too we both dude they put me up against Domino all the time and practice you know one on like just it was like why like you were older than him get out there I'm like this boy you wouldn't even allow the remember the yellow stripe down the helmet like you know when you were overweight it builds character right it does that's right it does it turns it turned me into the man I am today Chris Chris what did you what position do you play for the jets man you were in the jets right yeah I played the bench he was the BG he was the halftime show dude dude we had we had Adam Brathwaite in them and Adam was the best player I've ever seen at that age like so we had Mike Jenkins and and I can't even name everybody that played on the team but Kevin Curry Slea they were all on that team and with Justin Brown and Terry Boyd and that was Sonny Burch Sonny Burch is your coach right Tom Tommy Butler Tommy Butler is that okay and then after that Patrick and Wayne Rushing them came yeah like so I didn't play much until my third year but then I played tight end defensive and punter and punter was my favorite position I love punting the ball enough man I love I love people trying to think that they was gonna get me and I'd boot the ball down the field they'd be like what this little kid but yeah because I played soccer before football so I was I was ready to

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:00

Do that, but man, I played freshman football as an eighth grader when fight lows in them one states. That was my favorite year because it felt like we all won. And of course, all of our teams went undefeated. But I quit after getting hit by Freddie Bates and Domino and Matt and all the other while I'm like, man, I'm not gonna keep and Todd Hill's like go over the middle. I'm like, man, I'm a buck 20. Go over the middle. I'm getting hit by Domino and Matt Shuts and them. I'm like, man, I'm about to just stick with basketball. I'll get the hell out of you. No mercy, right? Oh my god. Yeah, I was like, I'm good, man. So yeah, I played a bench a lot, but I was I was a big cheerleader for our stars, like Patrick and Brathwaite. So talking about coaching and stuff, Adam Brathwaite, man, he's one of the goats too. Loving it, man.

SPEAKER_04: 1:00:44

Love seeing him at Cincinnati right now and doing great things, and just a great human being, too. Man, I'm with you, Chris. He was one of my favorites too, coming up. And we I knew him mostly from wrestling. He was on the wrestling team, and he also like I guess playing football. I could like think I played football with him one year before. He he moved up quick. He was too good to probably play the level I was at. But Adam's good people, man. I probably haven't talked to that dude since like in probably 25 years, but I love seeing him doing good things, man, for sure. Yeah, we'll have to get him on the show sometime. Yeah, you guys should get him on the show, man. That that'd be a good one for sure. Yeah, it would for sure.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:20

But like I think we're not gonna hold you up too long, Tony. Tony's got that. We're already at an hour here.

SPEAKER_02: 1:01:26

We're just talking away, which is great. But remember, Mike, we told you like that this or that. I'm gonna give you two choices and you choose. So random stuff, right? All right, we're gonna jump right into that. Seattle or New England? Seattle.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:41

Ah, me too. That's what I'm rooting for. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:01:45

Right, okay. Guitar or drums? Guitar. Hendrix or Tom Morillo? Hendrix. Uh football or wrestling. Man.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:02

I was like, what else are we gonna stump on here? Just like being a fan and watching it and following a sport casually. Is that what we're getting at?

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:11

Just like well, I know you did. Yeah, what do you like? It's your choice.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:18

I mean, I spend every Sunday like watching football, so probably these days like it'd be football as a fan or whatever. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:25

Right, right. Alright. Here we go. Transformers or Thundercats.

SPEAKER_01: 1:02:33

Thundercats, ho, baby. I love that one too. Thundercats was fire. Right.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:39

Alright, uh Phil Collins or Dave Grohl. Dave Grohl. Wow. Interesting. Griff Eager thought you go Phil Collins.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:49

Nah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:50

Alright. Baltimore.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:52

I got Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age in my blood, dude. Come on now. Right, that's yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:02:58

Right. I yeah, I get it. Baltimore or Denver?

unknown: 1:03:03

Oh man.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:05

Oh my goodness, dude. I don't know. God knows. Yeah. I I I I I can't answer that one. I like I feel like I'm you gotta take a drink for that one then. Look, man, they're they're both they're both like, you know, I mean I'm gonna be real with you for like living for living in a community, man, and like raising like raising my kids and like being with my family. It's it's Baltimore all day, man.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:37

Okay. So it was better you were out in Denver as you were younger than getting to experience that. You got it. You got it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:45

Yeah, all right. If you've never been, I I I can't suggest a place anymore for people to go visit and hang out.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:55

So right.

SPEAKER_02: 1:03:57

Okay, two more sandlot or little giants. Sandlot, baby. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Uh Macho Man or Ultimate Warrior. Macho Man. Oh yeah, that's my favorite. Ultimate warrior was Chris. That's this or that. You know, it's it's pretty fun to do.

SPEAKER_01: 1:04:25

See what your choices are. Good thing we because I was gonna pick Pearl Jam or Nirvana, but it's easy that you already said Nirvana, right? I gotta go with Nirvana, man. I gotta go with them.

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:35

Like, yeah. I'm with you. I'm with you on that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:04:39

I like my favorite band is Red Hot. Red Hot Chili Peppers? Yeah, I love them, man. So good. I love the name. My favorite guitarist is Slash.

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:53

Love I can't argue that. Yeah, Slash is great.

SPEAKER_04: 1:04:57

You know, he's so good. I think he's an even cooler like human being on top of all of it too, Chris. I think he's like genuinely like a really good dude, too. Right, right, right. Like nothing to not love about Splash, and he freaking shreds too. So that's dope.

SPEAKER_02: 1:05:12

But hey, Mike, it was fun having you all, man. Really enjoyed it. Connecting back with you again. Hey, let's keep in touch.

SPEAKER_04: 1:05:19

I love it, guys. Yeah, man. We got each other's numbers, so definitely we're gonna be in touch for sure, guys. And yeah, I'll keep up with what you guys are doing on social media. And again, Chris, you do hoops for hope. I'm there, bud.

SPEAKER_02: 1:05:31

Like, yeah, I was gonna say, hey, show up when we get that organized and together again. Because me and Chris have been talking about we gotta work on that and date and all that stuff. It's a lot of work.

SPEAKER_04: 1:05:43

I I can imagine, and like it, you know, it's one of those things that you put the work in and you get done with it. I'm sure it's like the most rewarding thing ever, too. Just knowing what an amazing job you guys are doing, and it's it's it's it's it's impacting folks, man. It's the community thing we that we got on here to talk about, right? I mean, that's it. You guys are the heartbeat of it, gentlemen. Get the heartbeat of it.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06:02

Thank you. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:03

Every now and then I'll take a little break from from stuff, but when I'm when I'm in it, I'm non-stop calls, texts, emails all day. I've like I'm paying attention, not paying attention sometimes to what I'm supposed to be doing at work. I'm trying to hit Mr. Norman or Javon. I'm like, yo, yo, right, right. If you don't, if you don't reach out, man, that's something we gotta get on too, is Mr.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06:27

Norman. I was yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:29

I'm gonna hit him up again, man. We gotta get him, Mr. Chambers, and Mr. Coonley all on.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06:33

Right, right. Yep.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:34

The guys, man.

SPEAKER_04: 1:06:38

That that you got you got uh you got a good list of uh quality folks to get on your show, that's for sure. I think uh Mr. Coonley's in in Pennsylvania, if I'm not mistaken.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:47

Yeah, he's up there loving baseball and his kids are playing hockey.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06:51

Yep, and I and I and I hear Mr. Norman's like people are in contact, but I hear he's off the grid, like been off the grid, like he's living in the woods in a cabin. Because he learned a long time ago.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:02

What we're mostly learning now in the last few years, he got out the matrix. Yeah, he got off the matrix. He realized that most people are living a life to chase things that don't mean anything, and he just escaped it, and he's gone and has his peace of mind, and it's awesome.

SPEAKER_04: 1:07:14

He might be my new hero now here in that man. That's right.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:18

But dude, dude, he was my favorite, man. Mr. Norman was awesome. Yeah, he was he was awesome. I loved all of them, but Mr. Norman, he was so cool, calm, and collect, man. And if anybody talks shit on that basketball court, he'd act like Larry Bird, but now could you out shoot Mr. Norman, Chris? No, I'm pretty sure maybe never. Maybe maybe I would have felt like it when I was doing my best, but nah, man. I don't even know if Lang or anybody would have outshot him. Mr.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:47

Norman was like, I never tried to shoot compete with him.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:50

Yeah, he did you could shoot with that guy. He wasn't gonna be a good one. Yeah, Mr. Norman was cold, man. He played, he played college basketball too, you know, in Louisiana.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:57

So yeah, yeah, yeah. But hey guys, hate to cut it short, Mike. Yeah, but uh, but uh, but hey, you're welcome to come on anytime, man, and we'll definitely keep in touch and support you. Yeah, but great having you all, man. Yeah, it's been a blast, Mike.

SPEAKER_04: 1:08:15

It's great catching up, and all the best that everybody out there, man. I hope everybody lives their best life and wakes up every morning and decides to to do more good than bad, right? That's all we can do every day. Let each other up and spread the love and spread positivity, guys. So let's do it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:30

I love that, and I love that motto on our mantra, man. Shout out to Kevin Curry, class of 98, February 21st, ladies and gentlemen. Building brothers up, man. There you go. It's a great thing he's doing for the community, Mike, right? And it's about guys any age, from young kids all the way up to grown, grown men, and speaking and getting things off their chest and coming together to try to help each other, you know, release things that men don't get to talk about. So that's great. And shout out to him and having it over there on Valor Drive or whatever, uh, Andy Combs Church. So, you guys get out there and support Kevin and what he's got going on.

SPEAKER_02: 1:09:02

Yeah, please do. All right, Mike. Hey man, have a great night. We'll keep in touch, man. Appreciate you being here.

SPEAKER_01: 1:09:09

Thanks so much, guys. All right, Mike. Love you, man. Y'all be safe, fellas. Peace you, brother. Y'all, y'all be good. All right, Mike.

SPEAKER_02: 1:09:15

Later. Yeah, Chris. There we go. Mike Run. Yeah, that was so hey everyone, Chris. Let's speak on what we're working on here before we get off real quick. Big news. I get city manager in Winchester. Yeah. That was uh just appointed okay to the position. Anyone wants to get on and speak about Piper being new city manager, reach out and speak on it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:09:53

What they call him, the Rowdy Rowdy Piper?

SPEAKER_02: 1:09:56

Uh-huh. I don't really hey. We're looking into it. I don't know who he is. Hey, but Chris, we'll just leave it at that. Right now, we're looking into it. This whole new city manager thing, and people, you know, what got my attention is like when it happened, it was announced, like the community people were enraged, basically, not happy.

SPEAKER_01: 1:10:17

Yeah, it just caught me by surprise because it seemed like most people didn't even know there was any way to vote or what was happening. He just seemed like he was boom, here's the new face of this position as the manager. Right, right. You know, yeah, I don't know, but then I heard he he ran against our good buddy man, and and my brother Carl Rush, and we didn't even know, like if people couldn't vote, so to me, that's something weird about it. But yeah, we got a lot of research and and people we've been talking to about this, and we're we'll get out there soon about it. But like Tony said, you guys want to speak about it or have anything on it, man? Because we don't know about what you guys tell us and what we do for the research. So come on out, hit us up, man. Right?

SPEAKER_02: 1:10:53

Yep, hey, and that's really all I got. We got any more shout outs or happy birthday. Who's birthday? There was somebody's birthday today. Who was it?

SPEAKER_01: 1:11:00

There's lots of birthdays. I'll be I gotta get better about that.

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:04

Yeah, Chris, we gotta get better, we gotta get back to that.

SPEAKER_01: 1:11:06

It's funny because my birthday was this past week, and Tony didn't even say nothing last week. I too good.

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:12

Bro, I forget my own birthday. My own brother gets mad at me because I don't hit him up or text him.

SPEAKER_01: 1:11:17

My birthday, you know, yeah, just just like Aliyah said, it's just a number, man. I ain't worried about it, man. As long as I'm still here and breathing, man, and celebrating life every day, right? Right, you know, but yeah, man, we got uh we got uh the young superstar for the kickers on next week, Mr. Mason, right?

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:33

Mason Savage will be on here. We go. Yes, Mason Savage will be on Millbrook Kicker.

SPEAKER_01: 1:11:40

Yeah, we will have there, he's got like four college offers recently, so that's dope to see. Man, his mom Sarah's out there working hard and on his behalf, and man, we wish him the best. So we can't wait to have him on next week, Tony. That's gonna be a good show.

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:51

Yeah, that that'll be that's gonna be awesome. And trying to get other local athletes are working on that too. So definitely, yeah. If a local athlete wants to get reach out to hey, we'll get you on, give you 10-15 minutes to shine and you know shout out. But all right, Chris, I guess that's it. I'm gonna go get something to eat, get to bed, I guess get ready to do my little job tomorrow. But yeah, excited for next week, like you said, Mason Savage, and then everybody, hey, if you got you know your opinions on Piper, or what reach out to us. We'll we'll be glad to have you on you know you can speak your mind and your concerns with the city that's going on. Because hey, we talk about hey, we talk politics, everything. The thing is the local Winchester, our area, it starts locally, go, you know, so it's important to have who the people want in there, I guess I should say, right? So yeah, all right, man. Chris, enjoy it. Everybody, thanks for tuning in, and thank you for coming. Shout out to Mike for coming on, man. Appreciate it. Yep, yep. All right, brother. Love you, and uh, I'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_00: 1:12:58

All right, love you too, man. Y'all be safe out there. Have a blessed weekend. Big voice, no stylus, weather loop, tell the vibe, think no good driving, not ignorance, it's never been placed.