Bonus Episode: A New Kurt Cobain Cause of Death Report and Artists Gone Too Soon

What can we take away from the new report on Kurt Cobain’s cause of death? And which rockstars gone too soon mattered to you the most? All this and more in the After Party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This is exactly right.

• 0:13Speaker 01

  OnDeck is built to back small businesses like yours. Whether you're buying equipment, expanding your team, or bridging cash flow gaps, OnDeck's loans, up to $400,000, help make it happen fast. Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and earning thousands of five-star TrustPilot reviews, OnDeck delivers funding you can count on. Apply in minutes at ondeck.com. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.

• 0:43Jake Brennan?

  I like a story with a twist as much as anyone, but some of the best traditions don't have one. They just started and kept going. That's something that's great about Chateau St. Michelle. They've been leading Washington wine since 1967 with wines that are balanced, expressive, and easy to enjoy. Choosing the right bottle shouldn't feel complicated. It should be something you open with confidence every time. So for once, here's a story with no twist, just a good bottle. Redefine your rituals with Chateau St. Michelle.

• 1:15Speaker 03

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• 1:45Jake Brennan?

  Hey, Discos. Need a little more DisgraceLand in your life? Just a touch to get you through? Yeah, me too. This is the podcast that comes after the podcast. Welcome to DisgraceLand: The Afterparty.

• 2:11Jake Brennan?

  Welcome to the Disgrace Land bonus episode, a little thing we like to call the after-party. This is the show after the show, the party after the party, the bridge to get you from one full episode of Disgrace Land to the other, the backyard to dig into the dirt. Our mission to uncover the truth, to confront the myth, to reclaim the story. On this bonus episode, we are discussing Mia Zapata of The Gitz. We're also talking about the new report on Kurt Cobain's cause of death, my Super Bowl hangover that won't go away, and we get into your emails, comments, DMs, and as always, a whole lot of Rosie. This is the podcast for the musically obsessed, the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. Disgrace Land is where I tell the stories they didn't want told, the kind you'll end up telling someone else. All right, discos, let's get into it.

• 3:12Jake Brennan?

  Mia Zapata, lead singer for the Seattle band The Gitz, died on July 7, 1993, at 27 years old, just shy of her 28th birthday. She was murdered tragically. And it's hard to imagine, had Mia lived, how her music and life might have evolved. Mia was both inspired and inspiring, and part of a growing scene, and born of a generation steeped in rebellion. Whatever road she might have pursued creatively or personally, I'm sure it would have been compelling for us as music fans. Her friend Kurt Cobain would be dead less than a year later

• 3:55Jake Brennan?

  on April 5, 1994, from a self-inflicted shotgun wound. But it's hard not to attribute the musician's debilitating heroin addiction as a cause of his demise as well. In 2002, grunge avatar Lain Staley from Alice in Chains, he fell victim to his own heroin addiction on the exact same day as Kurt, April 5th. His cause of death officially was an overdose of heroin and cocaine, a deadly combination commonly referred to on the street as a "speedball." Lain frequently shot speedballs with Seattle vocalist and poet Mark Lanigan of the Screaming Trees.

• 4:36Jake Brennan?

  Mark was the last person Kurt Cobain called before he died. Mark's band, Screaming Trees, recorded a song in 1996 referencing Mia Zepata called "Dying Days." Mike McCready, Seattle guitarist from Pearl Jam, he guessed on the song "Dying Days," the Mia Zepata tribute by Screaming Trees, and McCready handles the tune's guitar solo. Now, Mike McCready's playing on that tune and on basically everything that he's ever recorded is heavily influenced by the greatest rock and roll guitarist of all time and fellow Seattle native Jimi Hendrix. Jimi died back in 1970.

• 5:18Jake Brennan?

  Now, had he been born in a later generation, Mike McCready's temple of the dog, bandmate, and soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell, thinks that Jimi Hendrix would have been too heady a guitar player to break through and to make it in the modern music industry. Alright, that's understandable, I guess. Chris Cornell was speaking about the music industry in 2011, which was firmly on its downward spiral by then. But what if Jimi Hendrix had lived? What if Lain Staley, or even Mark Lanigan, as hard as that is to believe, what if these dudes lived? What kind of music would they be making today? What if Chris Cornell lived, or Kurt Cobain?

• 6:03Jake Brennan?

  What would music even be like if these monumental voices were still making it? Where would Kurt Cobain's music and voice fit into today's modern culture? That's a super interesting question to think about. For me anyways, it's hard, you know, I think about, you know, would Kurt still be in Nirvana? That's hard for me to believe. I believe that Kurt wasn't long for the band no matter, no matter what. Or at the very least that he was going to make big changes with Nirvana, either in sound, lineup, production, or all three. And a lot of people ask, what would Kurt think of Foo Fighters? What would he think of Dave Grohl, modern day Dave Grohl? Not to dunk on Dave, who's had a rough couple of years by rock star standards,

• 6:46Jake Brennan?

  but I think Foo Fighters would nauseate Kurt Cobain. And yes, I'm aware of what Dave has said about Kurt's positive reaction to some of his early demos that ended up becoming fully produced songs on the Foo Fighters' first album. I'm speaking less about the music here and more about the hammy, super comfortable, normie, mainstream place that Dave Grohl occupies in the music industry. I cannot see Kurt Cobain vibing with that at all. But it's hard, almost impossible, to predict what these artists, who were taken too soon, would be like had they lived. I'm just guessing. That's all I'm doing.

• 7:26Jake Brennan?

  I have no idea. I'm basing it on, you know, the research I've done on Kurt Cobain and what I know his personality to be. I don't know that, that he would be into Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters. I don't think anybody knows. One thing I do think I know about Kurt Cobain is that he was entirely unpredictable. Of all these artists that I've mentioned, I think that Kurt Cobain, similarly to John Lennon, had he lived, I think that Kurt would be most surprising comparatively to their peers, to Kurt Cobain and John Lennon's peers. Both of these artists were fiercely independent. Both were a true iconoclast. Both were extremely hypocritical and both were wildly impulsive.

• 8:08Jake Brennan?

  I don't know what to think about Kurt's life or music had he survived himself, except that whatever I think Kurt probably would have done something different. He was rare in that way, again, like John Lennon. You're going to hear a lot about Kurt Cobain in the coming days. The British newspaper, the British tabloid, I should say, the Daily Mail, just this week, published a so-called peer-reviewed report on Kurt Cobain's death that supposedly refutes the suicide cause of death and argues that the evidence surrounding Kurt's suicide, supposed suicide, as they would put it. They say, this report says that the evidence supports a staged suicide,

• 8:50Jake Brennan?

  that it wasn't suicide, that it was in fact homicide. Now, why this report was published, I have no idea. I can't even understand why the Daily Mail and others like Newsweek are covering this report. It's researchers, Brian Burnett and Michelle Wilkins, among others. This report, their report, I should say, was sent to us back in December through what appears to be a publicist posing as a rando. I'm not exactly sure. We here at Double Elvis examined the report. I didn't do it personally. Matt Bowden did, much to his credit. The details in this report are, they're just, they're, they're, I can't even find the word for it. They're tough, I'll put it that way.

• 9:35Jake Brennan?

  Visuals, it's not just text, it's awful. So anyways, again, I didn't look at it, but Matt looked at it and I trust Matt completely. And Matt concluded that the information that this report provides does not disrupt what the King County Medical Examiner ruled back in 1994, that Kurt Cobain's death was a result of suicide from a fatal gunshot to the head. And the report, the original report, the King County report, also noted the suicide note and the high level of heroin in Kurt Cobain's system. But even without this report, if one carefully reads the Daily Mail or the Newsweek articles about the new report, you can discern pretty quickly that the evidence that these researchers lay out is flimsy at best.

• 10:17Jake Brennan?

  Now, it's all wrapped up in the trappings and the look and feel of an official report, a quote-unquote peer-reviewed report.

• 10:28Jake Brennan?

  The report cites the positioning of Cobain's body claiming that it was staged to look like a suicide. The report cites the fact that Cobain had a receipt for bullets in his pocket as proof of this staging. This makes no sense. The report also cites the condition of Cobain's works, what he used to shoot his drugs and the capped needles, and the toxicology report that indicates the state of Kurt's body from heroin use. And there's a whole lot more in here, but none of it holds up. This conspiracy theory that Kurt was killed, that he didn't commit suicide, that Kurt was murdered. Okay? The researchers here, the authors of this report, they do not claim knowledge of who

• 11:13Jake Brennan?

  might have killed Kurt Cobain. But we all know what the conspiracy theory is. It's that his wife at the time, Courtney Love, had him killed. And this conspiracy theory, it reminds me a lot of the Lady Gaga Illuminati theory. It just will not go away. It just will not die. Again, you want to hear that Gaga conspiracy theory, all the conspiracy theories related to Lady Gaga, including that she had her friend Lena Morgana killed and stole her whole musical identity. You can listen to the last two episodes of Disgrace and a couple of episodes back. Now, in the eight years of making Disgrace Land, the group

• 11:55Jake Brennan?

  of music fans that I've pissed off the most are the ones who believe that Kurt was murdered by Courtney. But I am, I was gonna say I'm sorry. I'm not sorry. The evidence just isn't there. If it was, you know, I would be the first to shout it out. I am not afraid of digging into conspiracy theories. There are no sacred cows. I'll look into anything. And I'm going to tell you straight up that the evidence supports it. I'll even admit when I was wrong about things. And I have been wrong, as we all are. None of us are perfect. And I'm not afraid to say so. Listen, if I believe Courtney Love had anything to do with the death of Kurt Cobain, I would not only say so just to be honest. It would

• 12:36Jake Brennan?

  make my job way more interesting. Not that it's not interesting already, but you get the point. But in defense of the Kurt and Courtney conspiracy theorists, there are some facts that don't make sense, like the handwriting on the suicide note. But-

• 12:53Jake Brennan?

  If I put some thought into it, I can quickly come up with numerous explanations. So no, Kurt wasn't murdered, despite what this new report says. He, like Jimi Hendrix and Mark Lanigan and Chris Cornell, Lane Staley and Mia Zapata, was just one of many Seattle rock stars who died too young. Speaking of Kurt and Courtney, there's a Courtney Love documentary that's coming out this year, I believe, although there's no date of release yet that I can find. I'm very excited to see this. I believe, I believe it debuted at Sundance and apparently Courtney addresses all of these batshit crazy conspiracy theories, which I gotta say is pretty impressive. Zeth and I are going to address these theories more fully in the exclusive section of this after-party.

• 13:36Jake Brennan?

  We're going to dive into what the conspiracy theorists think, what they say. I'm going to straw man this argument a bit and I'm gonna, I've talked to Zeth about this in advance and I want him to come to the table and to defend the point of view of the conspiracy theorists. Now, as much as I don't believe in the conspiracy theories here, as I've indicated just now, there is some compelling evidence, okay? And we're going to get into the, no, we're going to get a little bit into El Duce and some other elements to sort of break this down. And who knows, maybe you'll learn something, maybe I'll learn something, all right? I don't know, we'll see. Anyways, that's in the exclusive section of this after-party coming up. Go to disgracelandpod.com to sign up for five bucks a month, grab this exclusive content and ad-free content as well. All right, again, speaking of artists shooting themselves, next week in Disgrace, Cyan,

• 14:21Jake Brennan?

  we've got a treat for you. We are releasing into the wide feed for everybody to hear our previously exclusive episode on Hunter S. Thompson. Now, not a musician, but definitely a rock star in his own right and an artist that I know has a lot of crossover in, in the world of rock and roll and into the world of music history and with music fans and counterculture fans. This is gonna be the last time we do this, I think, that being release an episode on a non-musician in the Disgraceland feed. We produced this Hunter S. Thompson episode a year or so ago, mainly because we're massive fans and we wanted to apply our storytelling to our research on this incredible writer and cultural figure. So, that episode is coming next week.

• 15:05Jake Brennan?

  And when you're listening to the Hunter S. Thompson episode in Disgrace and be thinking about who your favorite writers are. Is it Hunter Thompson? Is it, I don't know, Charles Bukowski? Is it William S. Barrows? Is it, is it someone more modern? Is it, I don't know, Harlan Cobain? I can go on and on and on. There's a million great writers out there. And when you're listening to this Hunter episode, be thinking about who your favorite writers are and get at me with your recommendations. I'm particularly interested in autobiographies by musicians that you guys have read. I mentioned Mark Lanigan before. His autobiography, Sing Backwards and Weep. It's a great example of what I'm talking about. Lots of you guys recommended this book to me and it led to us creating the Mark Lanigan episode of Disgrace Land.

• 15:50Jake Brennan?

  Now, whatever musician biography you're into, let me know. Recommend them to me. Recommend to me in honor of Hunter S. Thompson, any other writers in general that are just kind of like rock and roll writers. Whatever, they don't have to be rock. They can be any writers at all. I know that's, I know that's broad, but I'm always looking for new, new recommendations. Hit me up 617-906-6638. Voicemail and text to let me know. Now, coincidentally, Hunter S. Thompson's death was recently reinvestigated years after he died and a good year after we produced our previously exclusive episode. So, we're going to get into this recent probe and next week's after-party as a follow-up to our Hunter episode. All right, back to this week.

• 16:34Jake Brennan?

  Coming up tomorrow, right after this episode, in the rewind slot, our episode on You Got It, Lane Staley. And then, like I said, we hit you next week with Hunter S. Thompson. I'll be back after this with your voicemails, texts and emails where we're going to discuss, among other things, your thoughts on musicians who, like me as a pata, were taken too soon, the ones that impacted you the most. We're also going to be discussing your childhood music experiences. We dipped into that last week in the exclusive section of the after-party. Lots of you guys responded. A lot of you on Patreon. We're going to get into that as well. We'll be back right after this.

• 17:24Speaker 01

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• 17:54Jake Brennan?

  I like a story with a twist as much as anyone, but some of the best traditions don't have one. They just started and kept going. That's something that's great about Chateau St. Michelle. They've been leading Washington wine since 1967 with wines that are balanced, expressive, and easy to enjoy. Choosing the right bottle shouldn't feel complicated. It should be something you open with confidence every time. So for once, here's a story with no twist, just a good bottle. Redefine your rituals with Chateau St. Michelle.

• 18:24Speaker 00

  Hello, hello. I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I spoke with IBM's Ana Paula Assis about what digital sovereignty actually means in the age of AI.

• 18:35Speaker 04

  AI now moves from somebody operating a system to the technology actually making decisions. So you have to have a much better visibility of what AI is touching, data it is accessing, and where.

• 18:52Speaker 00

  Hear the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

• 19:00Jake Brennan?

  All right, guys. 617-906-6638. You want to send me a voicemail? You want to leave me a text? You want to connect in any way about the question of the week? Or just anything in general? That's how you do it. 617-906-6638. We asked the question last week. We asked the question this week in relation to me as a pod, which artists that impacted you were taken too young? Let's check in with the 334.

• 19:24Speaker 05

  Hello, Mr. Jake. It's Mahaly. I've been featured on Hollywood Land with Mr. Death a few times, but hoping this might be the first time on Disgrace Land. Calling in response to the question about artists who died before they got their due. Trying to keep this as short as possible, but I've got three for you. Number one for my generation, which is anyone who's an eighties baby, uh, grew up on this group and others like it, Sublime and Bradley Noel. That guy, he was gone before what we now know as Sublime became what it is. Number two would be Otis Redding.

• 20:04Speaker 05

  He passed away right before his hit Sitting on the Dock of the Bay came out. And, uh, I, I think the biggest one overall from all of my life and probably in general, when it comes to music as an American would be, um, Ritchie Valance, dude. He wasn't even 18 years old. He wasn't even a, a full grown adult and, you know, gone. And today, 70 plus years later, La Bamba and his, his name, his music still, still is searched and widely, widely loved around the world. So I think above all of the others that I know of, Ritchie Valance has to be the top

• 20:48Speaker 05

  one who was gone before he got his due. Um, he never even got to see adulthood, much less the, uh, the impact that he had on this musical world. Thank you again, Rockerola. Love what you guys do and I'm looking for, forward to some more scripted episodes. Take it easy, guys.

• 21:05Jake Brennan?

  334, great call. Thanks for reaching out. Happy to get you on Disgrace and here for the first time. Thanks for checking out Hollywood land. Appreciate you. Um, yeah, some great choices here. Sublime, Bradley Noel, really interesting. What a great voice that guy had, just incredible. Would have been awesome to hear how, how he would have matured as a singer and a musician. You also mentioned Otis Redding. That's a big one. That's a huge one. You know, what would the trajectory of Otis Redding have been?

• 21:36Jake Brennan?

  Would he have sort of like blasted through the rest of the 60s and the 70s and just kinda, where did he die? Did he die in 1970? Hold on, I gotta figure this out. Nope, 1967. Would he have just kinda blasted through those years and spun out in a way that a lot of the sort of R&B and soul singers did, even some of the bigger ones like James Brown? Or perhaps would he have cemented himself as a true kind of legacy artist like Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin and have just kind of ascended into this, the sort of upper echelon of musicians from his day? I think probably the latter. I think it would

• 22:21Jake Brennan?

  have been the Aretha Franklin Ray Charles route. You also mentioned Ritchie Valens, and thank you for reminding me, we still haven't produced a Ritchie Valens episode, or Buddy Holly, or the day the music died. I've never been able to figure out, like, do I want to do it about all of them? You know, all this comes up in the Waylon Jennings episode. Do I want, do I want to do it about all of them, or do I want to do it about each of them? I think I want to do it about each of them, because I'm just, I'm just, at least when it comes to Buddy Holly and it comes to Ritchie Valens, I'm just completely interested in both of them as musicians. I think it would, it would be limiting to do one story on all three artists, including the Big Bopper in here as well. I saw La

• 23:03Jake Brennan?

  Bamba in the theaters as a kid when it came out, and it just blew me away. Everything about it, the performances were incredible. God, I can still remember the fascination I had with that Stratocaster that, that is featured in the film. But I think the reason that that movie has stayed with me for so long is those songs. Those Ritchie Valens songs are just undeniable. They're incredible. Great call 334, appreciate you. Let's check this recommendation from the 317.

• 23:33Speaker 06

  Jake, man, we really have to do an episode on the Cranberries. And Dolores, you were asking about the best Irish punk band, everything.

• 23:44Speaker 06

  It is easily The Cranberries. Well, not a super fan, but Dolores was magical. Her voice was nominated as one of the best voices ever. So please, please, if you have it in your heart, I think it's a great story. Her death is tragic, but please look up The Cranberries.

• 24:09Jake Brennan?

  All right, 317, you've got it. We've got an episode on Dolores from The Cranberries coming sometime soon. I don't know when, but this is one of those, like the Mia Zapata that gets, this is one of those subjects that just keeps getting recommended to me. I've been hesitant to get into it just because it's so damn sad. Maybe I can even Seth to write this one, so I don't have to have my head in it. We shall see. But yes, we're gonna get to Dolores. 317, appreciate you. See, guys, text, call, leave a voicemail, and you know, your recommendations, they'll, they'll turn into granted wishes. Okay? Now, one of the other questions we were talking about last week, or one of the other topics I should say we were discussing was the crazy childhood experiences we had with live music.

• 24:52Jake Brennan?

  Crazy live music experiences we had as teenagers. A lot of that stemming back to the 90s because that's when a lot of us were, you know, out there getting after it for the first time. But can be from any era. We talked a lot about this in the exclusive section of last week's after party, Seth and I. Let's dip into this voicemail from the 801 on this topic.

• 25:16Speaker 07

  Hey Jake, I love the show. Just wanted to be able to say that like craziest concerts and best concerts ever been too. First time I saw The Roots as a little hip hop kid in early 90s, seeing all of those live music performances doing hip hop was mind blowing. So The Roots were definitely the best live show I saw. But the craziest was growing up in a town where like was real like Footloose. That's where Footloose was filmed in Utah. Seeing Rage Against the Machine come in September of 96 and having all of the religious folks telling their, telling the parents, "Don't let your kids go, businesses shuttered uptown." Like this little farm town and a rodeo ground and having Rage Against the Machine

• 26:01Speaker 07

  come there. No real issues happened at the concert itself. It was a really good show, pretty crazy, but awesome to see like the real life situation of religion being terrified of rock and roll music was pretty awesome. So might be something you want to check out. Just Rage Against the Machine, Spanish Fork, Utah in like September of 96. Love the show, rock and roll.

• 26:26Jake Brennan?

  801, thanks for the call. Appreciate you. Man, I wish I saw the Roots back in the day. Never saw them. I'd love to see them now, I guess. I did share a stage at a festival when I brought Disgraceland to the stage in San Francisco with Black Thought. That was a lot of fun. Rage Against the Machine in 96. So you would have caught them in, in that tiny little town you're from, I guess, at, at kind of their peak, 96. I'm pretty sure they were, they were on Lollapalooza at that point or just about to be. I, I'd seen them a little bit early, earlier. I saw them in, I think, 92 or 93. I definitely

• 27:07Jake Brennan?

  saw their first Boston show in a tiny club, the ICA in the South End. And I saw them, where else did I see Rage? I think I, yeah, definitely saw them at Avalon, when it was called Avalon. Saw them on, on Lollapalooza as well. Vastly different experience in Boston than it was in your Footloose town. But hey, at least you got that crazy experience. Let's do one more voicemail. This one from the 201.

• 27:35Speaker 08

  Jake, Jeff, 201, I just want to say, I finally caught up. I've been listening to your podcast for, I guess, close to a year, but I started at the beginning. So now like I'm all caught up and I'm, I'm pretty happy about that. To address your current question, which rock stars or, or figures of rock and roll fizzled out or, or, or died way too young right on the precipice of success? I would say that it's tied between two. Both having happened in the late 90s. I would have to say Shannon Hoon with Blind Melon was kind of hurtful. Um, I thought their music was terrific. They were just about to blow up. They were highly successful at Woodstock. And again, you know, drugs. And I would say that after that, it was probably Brad Newell from Sublime.

• 28:19Speaker 08

  Same thing. They had a seminal album that was absolutely phenomenal and groundbreaking. And, uh, I guess he celebrated a little too hard and, and, and died. But those two affected me. I don't know. For some reason, they, they both had a certain vuln- both the singers had a certain vulnerability to them that, um, was really kinda sad. You know, i- i- it's really a shame because I think if both of them had lived, their bands would have been wildly successful, probably Sublime more so than Blind Melon. But I, I kinda think that both would have wildly crazy success and it, it's really is a shame. Love the show and I'll look forward to talking to you again. Thank you.

• 28:59Jake Brennan?

  Jeff, thanks so much for the call. I hear you, man. Both, there's, there is a similarity between, uh, Shannon, Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon and Brad from Sublime, that, and that, that tie, that vulnerability tie that you mentioned. I think, I think you're on to something there. I think it's, I think it's a big part of, it's subtle, but it's there in their persona. And I also think perhaps more importantly, it's, it's part of what attracted music listeners to them. It's part of what made them relatable as rock stars. And I, I also agree with you that I think of the two, I, I think, I don't know if I think that, that Sublime and Brad, Bradley Newell would have had a more successful

• 29:43Jake Brennan?

  career, but at least it would have been, I, I think it's one that I'm more, more interested in, in having seen progress. And again, I just think that guy was a really, really great singer. Not a great singer, but just had a great voice. And it would have been super cool to just hear what became of that, especially because the scene he came from, that Southern California kinda punk scene. Just, just kind of a compelling dude. Appreciate the call. Thanks for calling. Glad you're all caught up with Disgrace Land. It's a lot of episodes. 617-906-6638 voicemail and text 416. Jason writes in, "Hey, I submitted my iced tea Montreal encounter through the portal plus two CODAs. Sorry it's so long. I could shorten it, but

• 30:26Jake Brennan?

  then it would only be an anecdote. Feel free to edit if you use it. Thanks for making this interactive rock and roll." Jason in the 416 is a Patreon subscriber and Jason, I know, had some weird run in with iced tea as a teenager, I believe. And he teased it out on Patreon, said it was, it was too rough and rowdy to share there and he was gonna hit me up 617-906-6638. And he hit me up, but now it's looking like he, I guess, he said he sent it through the portal plus two CODAs. This is a long tease, Jason. I imagine you're talking about emailing. I'm gonna check that out. Lauren Griffin writes in through the email portal, I guess. I'm in the email portal, Jason. I can't find anything, dude. Anyways, Lauren here writes, "Hey Jake, my name is Lauren and I started listening to Disgraceland in November 2024 when I was

• 31:11Jake Brennan?

  living in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, I have traveled the world, moved back home to Ireland, and even gotten engaged." Congratulations, Lauren, on your engagement. That's pretty awesome. Lauren goes on to say, "I'm so happy to say I finally caught up and I'm finally up to speed with the latest episodes. You were my most listened to podcast last year. It'll probably be the most listened to this year, or maybe it'll be Hollywoodland because I'm moving on to that next. Anyways, just wanted to say, keep doing what you're doing and hello from the Emerald Island. Love, Lauren. P.S. My fiancee lived in Boston for a year and is obsessed with the place and its sports teams. He loves the New England Patriots and is staying up until 4 a.m. tonight, tomorrow to watch the Super Bowl. Go Pats." Lauren, appreciate this. Thanks

• 31:51Jake Brennan?

  for the message all the way from Ireland. Happy you're a listener. Happy you're engaged as well. Enjoy the engagement. Enjoy the nuptials. Hit us back. Let us know how it went. And hey, you know, you know, I've officiated some weddings in my day. Just throwing that out there for you, Lauren. All right, let's move on. 617-906-6638 voicemail and text. You guys want to get at me about anything at all, you can also hit me up on Patreon. We're gonna get into some of your, some of your responses on Patreon regarding.

• 32:25Jake Brennan?

  Your childhood experiences with live music. We'll also hit up some reviews and I have got a big pile of crow to eat regarding my New England Patriots coming up right after this.

• 32:50Speaker 01

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• 33:21Jake Brennan?

  I like a story with a twist as much as anyone, but some of the best traditions don't have one. They just started and kept going. That's something that's great about Chateau St. Michelle. They've been leading Washington wine since 1967 with wines that are balanced, expressive, and easy to enjoy. Choosing the right bottle shouldn't feel complicated. It should be something you open with confidence every time. So for once, here's a story with no twist, just a good bottle. Redefine your rituals with Chateau St. Michelle.

• 33:53Speaker 03

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• 34:32Jake Brennan?

  I don't know if you heard that. I just, I just spilled water all over my desk, wiping it off with the sleeve of my flannel shirt right now. This is the second spilled water of the day. Also, had myself a flat tire this morning, so I'm dealing with that. It's been a morning, guys. It's been a morning, but you know what? I don't care. I'm grateful. I got nothing but gratitude because this here is the greatest music community on the internet, and off the internet if I do say so myself. Now, some of you may know, or all of you may know, I'm not sure, that we offer exclusive content to our All Access members, like the

• 35:15Jake Brennan?

  All Access section of this after-party where Zeth and I will be discussing Kurt Cobain's suicide and the theory that he was murdered. And we're gonna, we're gonna poke some holes in that theory. But last week, we were talking about wild concerts from our childhood. That was brought on by our coverage of Jane's Addiction. Got a ton of comments on Patreon on this topic. And that's, that's the best part about Patreon, guys, is the community aspect of it. Okay? If you've been on the fence about joining Patreon, I'm not gonna make this some big sell. I'm just gonna tell you, I love engaging with the listeners over there. It's the best getting to know you guys. I love how you guys engage with each

• 35:57Jake Brennan?

  other. That's pretty incredible. There's talk circulating about a meetup this year for all of us. Not sure what we're gonna do or where, but I love that. And I just love that we've got this community over there. And right now, the topic of discussion is all of your wild experiences as kids with live music back in the 90s, some of the 80s, some of the 70s. Roxanne M. writes, craziest experience in a word, Guar. Okay, I get it. I get that Roxanne. I get it. Kimberly Harris writes, got dragged to a Kiss concert, one of maybe three people at this whole show. My friend, three people. I don't think she means three people. She says, my friend Kelly had been part of Kiss Nation since she was four. I did move when spewed

• 36:42Jake Brennan?

  blood on by Gene and I definitely moved. I went backstage to meet them and Kelly and her sister lost it. Half naked and naked women everywhere. And I am the only black person, all caps. So I definitely was out of my element in the music and the crowd, but the band was super nice. And I was asked by Gene Simmons playfully how the hell it was that I was at this concert, let alone backstage. And my response was that I was dragged along for a girls' night out. I had a good time, but my friend Kelly and her sister had to be pulled together repeatedly. Kelly's sister did get her, all right, we're not gonna get into that part. Kimberly's got the best stories. Appreciate you. Becky Johnson writes, hey, I did get kicked in the face at a Rollins Band show. I learned quick that if I was standing in front of the stage, to grab the stage diver by the

• 37:25Jake Brennan?

  ankles and help them over my face. Were you even alive in the 90s if you were not kicked in the face with a combat boot at a Henry Rollins show, a Rollins Band show? Jason Ramsey teases out his iced tea experience. Still looking for that email through the portal, Jason. I'll report back once I get it. Guys, get on the Patreon chat. You don't need to sign up for five bucks to be part of the chat. You can sign up for a dollar to be part of the chat. Okay, just the buck and you get access to the disgraceling community. Get over there. Get in on that action. And if you can't support financially, we get it. You can always support by leaving a review. Oftentimes, I will read some of the reviews back here to you guys on the show. And when I do, that's a signal to you to get in touch.

• 38:06Jake Brennan?

  617-906-6638, voicemail and text, and let me know that you heard your review. And at that point, I will ask you a couple of questions and I'll get you some merch as a nice little thank you, as a nice little token of my appreciation. Now, I can't, I can't say exactly what that merch might be, but I'm looking at some stickers here on my desk and some pins. I've got some shirts. I've got a whole bunch of stuff that was just unearthed. I know I was supposed to mail this stuff out last week. I did not do that. I ended up going to New England for the Super Bowl and I am, I am delayed. What can I say? I'm having, like I said, I'm having myself a little bit of a day here. I had a couple of water and coffee malfunctions and I got a, I got a flat tire. I'm waiting on a tow truck come by my house.

• 38:48Jake Brennan?

  Pick up my car, bring it to the dealership, but I will get merch out shortly to the winners. If you yourself want to be a winner, I encourage you to go to Apple Podcasts or to Spotify and to leave a review for DisgraceLand. It helps with discovery of the show and we are super appreciative of it. Disgraceful M. Smith 9579 on Apple Podcasts writes, "Hey, thanks for all the great content and stories. I'm really appreciative of the music that I have been exposed to because of your platform. I'll go to Apple Music and look up artists that have been subject matter on the show. I've gotten into more punk and hardcore and I've always been a thrash metal guy and this just adds to my life. Keep it coming. Thank you. M. Smith 9579. I love that. Happy you're getting exposed to new music because of DisgraceLand. Check out me as a pod in the gets if you have not already."

• 39:34Jake Brennan?

  Anixtian, Anixtian on Spotify writes, "I just want to say how much I love this podcast. I'm such a music girl and as much as I think I know about artists and their stories, you always give me some cool new info. I love sharing with my friends. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." You know what? That's what it's all about. Getting this new information, new stories, having something to talk about with our fellow music obsessives, whether it's in the Patreon chat, whether it's at the barbecue, whether it's at your next dinner party, whether it's wherever you're standing on the side of the soccer field, talking to a mom or dad, and I don't know, maybe they're wearing a sublime shirt. You want to tell them a little bit about your knowledge of Bradley Noel that you heard here on DisgraceLand. We like to say that this is the podcast that'll

• 40:18Jake Brennan?

  make you dangerous at dinner parties. I gotta call this out. February 13th, that's this week. That was the date back in 2018, however, February 13th, 2018, that we released our first ever episode of DisgraceLand. That means this podcast is eight years old this week. Eight years old. I cannot believe that. I was talking to somebody in the podcast industry a couple of weeks ago and she referred to me as a veteran of the podcast industry. A veteran.

• 40:53Jake Brennan?

  I didn't like it, to be honest with you. I don't feel like a veteran. I mean, I don't feel like I've been in this for that long. Everything still feels new to me. Honestly, it all feels like it's growing. I'm still finding ways to be inspired. I'm still finding stories that inspire me, that make me want to crack the books, get under the hood. I'm Zeth, Matt, myself, we're still, we're still totally compelled to find unique ways to tell these stories, to, to do so with audio, to do so with music scoring, with sound design. And the more of you that come into this space that are new, the more of you that may be listening and decide, hey, I'm gonna, I'm gonna get involved with the Disgrace and community with the discos. I'm gonna, I'm gonna just, you know, I'm just gonna go in there, share, share a little bit about

• 41:36Jake Brennan?

  myself, ask some questions on the Patreon or on Instagram or wherever. The more that happens, it just, it's fuel and it makes everything feel fresh and new and exciting. And it's the greatest job in the world. I was born to do this. So was Zeth, so was Matt. They're both uniquely talented to bring something special and incredible to Disgrace and to what we do here, to the storytelling. And it is a new year and we've got some awesome stuff in the works for you in 2026. Really going to push everything further than we ever have before creatively. You're gonna be very excited, I promise you. Just wanted to say thank you to all you listeners. Eight years,

• 42:20Jake Brennan?

  I can't believe it. I don't even know how many episodes we have. Eight years. That's crazy. We're gonna be around 260 episodes at this point. Anyways, much love, much gratitude. Thank you very much. Appreciate you. Stop by Patreon, say hello, or just give me a call, 617-906-6638. Say what's up. Send me a voicemail. Listen, I gotta eat some crow here. All right? I got to, um, look, I had all the shit talk in my mouth last week when it came to the Patriots. Not the Patriots, the Patriots. And the Seattle Seahawks, my goodness, man, that game kicked my ass, kicked the Patriots ass, actually, if I'm being, for being, for being real about it. So Matt, before I go

• 43:02Jake Brennan?

  any further, let's get this ready. Okay. This is the 62nd Sports Rant in under 30 seconds, sponsored by Five Hour Energy and the return of their confetti craze flavor. Bring back birthday energy. Wherever you go with this, plan your confetti craze party at www.5hourenergy.com or Amazon available now. Matt, give me that buzzer. Look, I gotta, I gotta just say Seahawks fans, congratulations. Patriots haters, go F yourself. We will be back. I, you know what, I can't even go to we'll be back yet. I just gotta, I gotta, again, I talked so much crap about this. I just have to say, congrats to the Seahawks fans. I was wrong. I thought

• 43:45Jake Brennan?

  our coach and our quarterback would overcome what was plain to me as a better team that was the Seahawks, but that did not happen. We got our butts handed to us. We were outmanned. We were outplayed. We were outcoached. It was a supreme butt kicking. And you know what? I'm not ashamed to say it because we've lost Super Bowls in the past here in New England. We've probably lost more Super Bowls than a lot of other franchises have even played it. We're up to six losses now. Okay. And I know we're also six wins. So I know, I know, I know we'll be back. I know we'll be back. And the Pats, I believe, may be

• 44:27Jake Brennan?

  playing in Seattle next year. I think the AFC East plays the NFC West next year. I could be wrong. If that's the case, Shay Simpson, I will see you out there and I will buy you some drinks at whatever your stadium is called. I've always wanted to go to that stadium. Always wanted, there's a lot, there's a handful of stadiums I've always wanted to go to. That's one of them. So maybe next year will be, be the time and to make up, to make up for my, my sports sins to my Seattle brethren, specifically you Shay, who I talked some crap about here last week. The beers are on me, my man. All right, Matt, I know there is no way in HE double hockey sticks that we did that in under 30 seconds. So I'm just going to say it right now. That was the sports rant

• 45:09Jake Brennan?

  sponsored by five hour energies confetti craze flavor backed by popular demand. Confetti craze tastes like the best birthday cake ever with its rich buttery and vanilla flavors since five hour energy shots are tiny and resealable. It's easy to take that birthday everywhere you go. Plan your confetti craze party at www.5hourenergy.com or Amazon available now. Guys, I got to watch a movie today. I got to watch a movie today in preparation of our new video podcast. This film should be played loud, which is available for all access members on Patreon only. And that movie that I am watching is Boogie Nights, because that is the soundtrack Zeth and I are going to get into in the next episode of this film should be played loud,

• 45:50Jake Brennan?

  which you will all be able to watch via Patreon. Go to disgracelandpod.com to sign up. Not only we get this film should be played loud, you'll get all those Hollywoodland and disgraceland episodes ad free. Speaking of Hollywoodland, Zeth bringing you the Hollywoodland vibes weekly. Make sure you subscribe to Hollywoodland and the Hollywoodland podcast feed. We'll be back right after this.

• 46:25Jake Brennan?

  All right, guys, we mentioned a ton of disgraceland subjects in this episode. Sublime, Lane Staley, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Chris Cornell. Matt will grab the episode notes for a handful of these episodes. Drop them in the show notes of this after party to help you more easily navigate to those stories should you want to find them amongst our super vast library of content. But alas, it is time for me to go. So I'm about to take off, but let's recap real quick. Number one, this week, our new episode on Mia Zapata and the Gitz is available for you right now. Our rewind episode, that's on Lane Staley from Alice in Chains, that's coming up right after this after party. Number three, next week, a new episode.

• 47:09Jake Brennan?

  On Hunter S. Thompson, number four, Zest's gonna give you those Hollywood and crime vibes over in the Hollywood land podcast, so make sure you're subscribed. Number five, this film should be played loud. That's our new video podcast. We've got a new episode on Trainspotting that's up right now. We've got another one on Goodfellas and we're in the process of making a third on Boogie Nights coming your way at the end of this month. Number six, 617-906-6638. Your voice keeps us digging into the dark corners of music history, so keep calling, keep texting with your answers to this week's question of the week, or with whatever else you want to talk about. Number seven, don't forget this goes, this isn't just content, it's a community, a community of the obsessed and no one cares about music, books, records and the crime and grime. It ties them all together like you do and well, that's a disgrace.

• 47:52Jake Brennan?

  All right, Mia Zapata of the Gits passed away on July 7th, 1993. Here's what America was listening to on that day, according to the Billboard charts. Number one, "Weak" by SWV. Last week. Two, "Peak Position." One, Weeks on Chart, 12. Number two, "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson. Last week. One, "Peak Position." One, Weeks on Chart, 11. Number three, there it is, "Tag Team." Last week. Four, "Peak Position." Three, Weeks on Chart, seven. Number four, "Can't Help Falling in Love" from Slidown. Last week. Seven, "Peak Position."

• 48:37Jake Brennan?

  Four, Weeks on Chart, nine. Number five, "Knockin' the Boots." H-Town. Last week. "Peak Position." Three, Weeks on Chart, 13. Quit talking and start mixing. Cut it. Hey guys, time to dust off your detective skills while unwinding in the Caribbean on Virgin Voyages' second true crime voyage. It's back by popular demand, this five-night, adults-only escape set sail March 20th, 2027, to Grand Turk in the Beach Club at Bimini. The difference between this year and last will be that I will be on the cruise this

• 49:22Jake Brennan?

  year, along with Zeph, and he and I will be taping a live version of DisgraceLand, along with podcast hosts from Exactly Right's Buried Bones, Podcast of the Year Award winners, Wise Crack, and other fan favorites. Get on this cruise with us, guys, and enjoy live podcast recordings, behind-the-scenes storytelling, exclusive meet-and-greets, and immersive true crime programming throughout this one-of-a-kind voyage. Head over to www.virginvoyages.com/trucrime to secure your spot. I like a story with a twist as much as anyone, but some of the best traditions don't have one. They just started and kept going. That's something that's great about Chateau St. Michelle. They've been leading Washington wine since 1967 with wines that are balanced, expressive,

• 50:07Jake Brennan?

  and easy to enjoy. Choosing the right bottle shouldn't feel complicated. It should be something you open with confidence every time. So for once, here's a story with no twist, just a good bottle. Redefine your rituals with Chateau St. Michelle.

• 50:22Speaker 01

  Cash Flow Crunch? OnDeck's small business line of credit gives your business immediate access to funds, up to $200,000, right when you need it. Cover seasonal dips, manage payroll, restock inventory, or tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and control over repayment, get funded quickly and confidently. Apply today at ondeck.com. Funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.