St. Paul and The Broken Bones on Their Game-Changing Letterman Performance

It's another What Podcast high five.

I'm Brad.

That's Barry up top, buddy.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Nice.

Last week, we did a high five with Paul Jane away from St.

Paul and the Broken Bones telling the story about the time a man peed on him.

And I love that story.

I tell that story to damn near every person who knows St.

Paul and the Broken Bones guys.

Guys, guess what?

This one time Paul Jane away told me a story about how he got peed on a Jay Z.

I had forgotten his reaction, which they hey, what's happening here?

What?

Hey, man.

So adorable.

It's so much fun.

So if you want to go back and listen to that high five, you're more than welcome to or

you can see the whole interview at the what podcast dot com or on the Consequence podcast

network.

It's such a fun double episode and not because of us but because Paul is just such a fantastic

storyteller.

He's so funny.

He's so endearing.

I just don't know how anybody doesn't fall in love with him immediately.

Even even seeing him.

That's how people fall in love with him.

They soon as they lay eyes on him like, oh, yeah, this is the guy down the street.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, it's it's a lot of fun.

So tell me about today's high five.

Well, this is what we got this week.

This clip first of all, it features a hero of yours or a story about a hero of yours.

And it it's a great example of how a band can catch lightning in a bottle and go from

this level to this level with with, you know, one gig one show one endorsement or whatever.

And and that's exactly what happened.

You know how you know how Carson had the touch of gold when it came to comics.

I feel like Letterman had that with bands, especially in the late night days.

If you got on Letterman at 1235, I mean it was a big moment for you because you were

hitting the target audience that you wanted so easily.

And then even in the CBS days, even later in the day that he kept finding these artists

that he really really loved and he would give them a platform.

Hence first television appearance ever by Lizzo.

I mean, Dave had Lizzo on when she was just doing club gigs in Minneapolis.

Right.

Yeah.

So this was one of those moments where you didn't know who they were.

Maybe you heard a song a couple of times.

But then when you saw them and the explosion on the screen of what you were seeing was

just this is unbelievable what I'm watching.

And even into the days like late night TV's popularity is waning.

You still could have a life changing moment on Letterman like St.

Paul did.

Well, and if the music alone, the performance didn't get you, which I can't imagine that

it didn't.

Letterman's reaction.

His reaction.

Oh my God, his reaction is worth making you go back and watch it over and over and over

again.

That was one of the most sincere.

That's right.

Gushing reactions that I've ever seen.

I don't need to tell you this.

You know, Dave Letterman is my hero.

So I know a thing or two about him.

He can't fake it.

No, no, he just cannot fake it.

So if he is like billowing love for you, he really, really means it because he doesn't

like a lot of things.

No, no, and he doesn't suffer.

You're exactly right.

He can't fake it at all.

All right.

So this is the Paul Jane away from St.

Paul the Broken Bones talking about his first appearance on Letterman.

So what podcast high five?

I have to say I'm surprised that we've gone this far and Brad has not mentioned David

Letterman.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Brad is talk about fanboy.

Well, he's my hero in life.

If not for Dave Letterman, I would not be doing anything that I'm doing or the person

that I am today.

He is my absolute hero in every regard in every piece of entertainment.

He's the guy that changed not only comedy, but he changed television.

He changed entertainment.

The fact that you guys got such a big break from Letterman.

I mean, I wasn't going to bring it up, Barry, but if you really want to talk about Dave,

I can talk about Dave.

I'm wondering if I'm going to get to speak during this whole conversation.

That was pretty remarkable because they had told us that he was a fan of ours and I just

kind of shrugged it off his lip service.

And you know what I mean?

Because like, oh, such a big fan.

Yeah, says that to everybody, right?

Yeah, exactly.

Says that to everybody.

And then they were like, look, he is a really big fan.

Like he could ask for an encore.

He rarely does, but it is possible.

Would y'all be okay with that?

We were like, of course, so.

So then he goes into that long rant before the show, before our performance.

And I was just like, surely they're going to cut this out.

Surely.

And they didn't.

And it became a thing.

And we, you know, it was really quite remarkable.

For people out there listening who haven't seen it, Google it.

It's one of the most remarkable late night television moments I've ever seen because Dave just died.

I went 20 some odd years without missing an episode of Dave.

I watched him every single night for 20 something years.

It's a real sickness he has.

I know, it's pretty crazy.

But I'll tell you, the only time I ever remember him doing something like that was back in the late night days with James Brown.

When James Brown did Late Night, that was the only time I remember him saying to somebody,

I need you to keep going.

Do it again.

Keep going.

It was one of those things where our career was doing pretty good.

I mean, but the record cycle, as you know, was kind of winding down.

And we were like, OK, we were getting ready to start to write the next record.

And then that happened.

And it like took us another level.

We were like, it did.

It changed our career.

There's something about, and I hope that I can talk to you maybe as somebody who maybe is a little out of body experience with you for a second.

But it's like Paul on stage is a different human being.

And it's ironic that you are such a fan of pro wrestling because it is almost like a character that you're doing on stage that is just infectious.

Yeah.

I mean, it's when you hit the zone.

You know what I mean?

It's a different animal.

I like to say it's my hour and a half of therapy.

Another successful five minutes down memory lane with the What Podcast.

Barry Courter, Brad Steiner.

Another high five next week.

But if you want to go check out the whole Paul Janeway interview, it's available at the WhatPodcast.com.

Be sure to rate, review, send us your love and cash available anytime on Venmo so I can pay for Lord Russ Jackson's big Christmas presents.

Christmas presents coming up.

Yeah, we need that quickly.

Don't forget, you can also hear these on the Consequence Network.

So far, I have accumulated $22.

Nice.

$22.

So you're to the good.

Russ Christmas Fund, just in time.

Mr. Lord Taco.

Yes.

There he is.

Morning.

Yeah.

Morning.

We're having a little scratchy this morning.

So I just was filling Barry in.

I have accumulated $22 in the Russ Jackson Christmas Fund for your big Christmas present.

$22.

Wow.

Yeah.

We're getting there, my man.

We're getting there.

You're right in time for us to say good night to podcast high fives.

And we'll get to you another one next week.

You got anything before we go there Lord Taco?

How's everybody doing?

Okay.

My man.

God, he's a national treasure.

All right.

We'll talk to you next week.

Bye bye.