Echo Play Podcast
Welcome to our community of cover bands, tributes, and all other music addicts as we discuss the DFW music scene.
Echo Play Podcast
Your Armpits Deserve Better Deodorant
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In this casual, catch-up-style episode, Evan and Aaron return after a brief hiatus, joking about a lost recording that was supposedly their “best episode ever.” They cover a wide range of topics, from parenting hacks like using a Skylight calendar and keeping wet wipes in the car, to home tech discussions on Ring, Blink, and outdated alarm systems.
The conversation takes a fun detour into Dr. Squatch products, with a hilarious dive into man-scented soaps, deodorant horror stories (especially with Old Spice), and Sydney Sweeney’s viral bathwater soap collab.
Aaron drops a major life update: after 23 years at his previous job, he’s now working at Printed Threads, a company he’s admired for years. He talks about the transition, the exciting creative opportunities, and how it aligns with his passion for band merch and community-based work.
The episode shifts into band and merch strategy, touching on:
- Why most tribute bands miss out on merch sales
- How Dick Buildings and So Long Goodnight are building fan loyalty through creative, nostalgic designs
- Upcoming shows, including a multi-band metal fest at Haltom Theater
- Booking philosophies, venue frustrations, and what makes tribute bands appealing in today’s live music scene
They round out the episode with some laughs about Tool tribute drama, Facebook group politics, and the idea of starting a YouTube reaction channel—a “totally original” concept, of course.
The Greatest Podcast You'll Never Hear
Speaker 2Echo Play Podcast things going on , that you know we did have one failed attempt . Yeah , we recorded and then , uh , I don't know what happened . I got lost in the abyss .
Speaker 1I pulled the SD card out , put it in the computer and all the folders and it just was not there . I pressed record . It was the best show we ever did .
Speaker 2Yeah , the greatest podcast in the world You'll never yeah , the greatest podcast in the world you'll never hear it now yep this is just the tribute , though .
Speaker 1I'm glad we're on the same wavelength there , I was thinking the same thing . I'm like how do I make this joke work ?
Speaker 2how do I do this ?
Speaker 1it's just a tribute so we are , I think what three weeks , four weeks ?
Speaker 2yeah , it's been a minute like break from the last one which it's gonna be one of those things like where you just get it in , where we can get it in , yep for the most part , at least for right now yeah , didn't you say something about your schedule opening up ? Uh , well , it was opening up with , um , the kids like sports , like ending and whatnot , right , um ? But then other life changes came into place and so , right , I don't know , it's all , uh , all gonna change and adjust and schedules will be remade and whatnot .
Speaker 1Um in your sky calendar .
Speaker 2Yeah , pretty much Um yeah , one of those right , I do have a sky .
Speaker 1I've been skylight . Uh yeah , one of those , right , I do have a skylight .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's , it's nice , um , like you know , like it's a Matt's in our , it's in our kitchen , like you can mount them on the wall or , like ours , on , like a stand .
Speaker 1Okay .
Speaker 2Uh , in the kitchen , but um , yeah , man like it uh , just a nice visual . Um , you can go on there and click . You know , for my kids especially , like I can give them , we can do chores on there for them to do yeah and they can go . Click on chores and they can go . Uh , you know like highlight their chore when they're done . Yeah , so pretty cool on that that aspect , uh , color-coded per like .
Speaker 1Members of my family so we're thinking about getting one , just I mean .
Speaker 2But then again I like why I mean honestly like no , if it fits anyone , it would fit you , just because you are . I live , breathe and die by the calendar , for sure yeah , you're in four bands but they have it highlighted like we're . Almost like you could have each band highlighted in a different color so you knew who put in , like the kitchen or something and like have it be just at the forefront , but um did you have practices , you have shows .
Speaker 2Yeah , I mean like , especially like at the year , like this year . This has been one of the busiest years , the busiest year we've had ?
Speaker 1Is it like um Alexa compatible or ?
Speaker 2uh , I don't know Like you can't verbally , you can't , I don't think you can voice put a ? Event into a calendar . Okay , but through the app on your phone you can do it and it can sync through , like if you use another app , like a cozy app or something like that , right it'll sync through that , okay . Um , I haven't messed with all of it . I've just been entering it straight through the app .
Speaker 2If I've done anything , okay , so but you can sync it with like Google and everything right , I believe so Okay , yeah , but it's man , it's super cool and especially like with as much stuff as you got going on and like different hats and whatnot , like it's , it's it's a lot dude .
Speaker 1It'd probably help you out . Yeah , I .
Speaker 2Right there , you see it every day .
Speaker 1Yeah , right next to the alarm system . That doesn't work . Yeah , it's been there .
Speaker 2Unless you're trying to break into his house , then it definitely works .
Speaker 1I've lived here what like three years now Three years . And the alarm system . I've let it bark at me this whole time where it's like front door , back door , oh , it still tells you that . Yeah , it still like announces when doors open , oh yeah . So I'm like I should probably turn that off , but now it's like almost comforting , knowing like that she's announcing doors .
Speaker 2If you open it one day and it doesn't say anything to you , then it's like what ? Uh , we have an alarm at our house . We don't have it . That's .
Speaker 1It came with the house , but it's not activated , it just sits there is it like a like savant or like I don't even know which one it is I don't know like my kids ask what it is .
Speaker 2All the time I was like that doesn't work , don't worry about it .
Speaker 1Yeah well , because they want a fortune for it . Like , and the thing is with these new builds , because that same thing with mom and dad . When they bought their house in uh , in kennedale , they uh , um , when they're building it they're like , okay , well , what packages do you want ? And it's like , okay , well , it's , they make it . So it's like almost impossible to just say no to like any packages because it's like essentially free with whatever you do , and then where they get you is a subscription part of it , where it's like well , now you got it .
Speaker 2So I think my mom has like a safe light , safe , something like that safe flight repair maybe that's what I was thinking about . But she's got safe , uh , safe something . But like she installed it all herself , like they said , yeah , the stuff , and she puts it in
Home Security Systems and Skylight Calendars
Speaker 2there .
Speaker 1Well , I'm dude I'm just like because , like we have door-to-door guys , you know that'll come be like oh well , you want like security . I'm like dude , it's so easy now to just get a ring system and yeah , that's pretty much where it's gonna go anyway like yeah like ring , pretty much handles most of that stuff yeah , and it just cuts all the bloat of like , well , we go to center tech out if you see a ring .
Speaker 2If you see a ring on someone's , you're probably not going on their doors no , no , exactly , they're caught in 4k right there I mean , they got those signs and everything you put in your front yard .
Speaker 1But , like , I don't know , it's just so easy to buy a ring and then like , uh , upgrade it from there . You know , get the windows , get the , the doors and the detectors and motion like , and you just keep upgrading it where , like , you know the ones where you have to go through somebody , well , that's our , that's our gold package , that's our diamond package , yeah , so , um , so I don't know . I've always opted to get like a ring and I I did . I bought like a one of the cameras and then it's funny because I ended up switching to blink , which is , um , amazon's like system . But , uh , when you do like , when you buy a home , you get a discount for like proving that you have a home security system which I didn't know that was like on on your insurance , it's , it's something .
Speaker 1I think it is insurance . Yeah , my insurance it's . Uh , I think progressive is what we have . And then it's like oh well , do you have home security system ? Okay , here's 30 off , or something like that . I don't know . So I ended up doing that , but then let it expire because I don't know . Blink is simple . I I know ring's a better system because they're they're made the more expensive , but blink has been good to me and their cameras are pretty , pretty good .
Speaker 2I mean , they're all wireless and the sooner or later there's gonna be so many different brands of that everywhere . Yeah , because everyone's going to catch on to it , yeah . Ring just cornered the market at first .
Speaker 1Well , they started . They were one of the first . I mean , it was , it was Shark Tank , wasn't it ?
Speaker 2Was it ?
Speaker 1I think Ring was on Shark Tank Really Early on yeah , I mean because Ring Cause ring was the first that I know of that . Everyone like hopped on that bandwagon . You know , great show . It is a great show . I love that show . Um blink's got the the cool system now where , like it'll blend , it'll like edit clips for you so like you pulling up . I can see you pulling up in the driveway cam , then walking to the front cam , then going to the doorbell cam and it like puts it all together for you , that's pretty cool .
Speaker 1It's like it's not separate videos . In a blink of an eye .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 1In the blink of an eye . Nice , you just made a , you just made a sub tag for them . Oh man , you gotta copyright that . I do this stuff all day . Blink in the blink of an eye .
Speaker 2And just Evan's got some incense burning in here . Is it burning your nose No
Incense, Dr. Squatch, and Deodorant Woes
Speaker 2? , it's great , it smells great . It just reminds me of Michael all last year .
Speaker 2Michael hasn't really brought the incense back out in a minute , but like all last year , man Michael was all about the incense when he was playing . So we'd be playing a show and just all of a sudden you smell it and you're like , oh yeah , we're activated . There was also a stoner shop growing up , um called birdies in ohio that I went to , yeah , and it smelled just like that . Yeah , like you walk in and just smelled like that the second one finishes and other ones lit up .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah , just constant , I mean it . I I do like them . They're a little thick when you fire them up and they're they kind of linger . Like my whole house smells like incense when I light it up , Like it's pretty intense . Can I sell them , if you're ? If you , I think . So I think there's like a weird like I don't know , Maybe it was me like growing up , like like the cool , like hippie houses had like the incense going and like had friends that had houses like that and my house , like we never we didn't have incense or anything like that . So , like you think we definitely didn't have incense . It's cool , it's like a vibey thing , and so now it's almost like you know , there's something about going to the swap meet and getting like dragon's blood incense of like for a dollar or whatever .
Speaker 2I was more aware of all my friends' parents who smoked when I was younger . There you go .
Speaker 1Do you have incense in your house ? Wow , your mom's weird man , she loves incense . Get older . That's a weird smelling incense . It's kind of skunky .
Speaker 2That incense is different . I feel funny .
Speaker 1No , no , I feel funny , I did no , I feel funny . I did not get secondhand high from my childhood friends that I'm aware of . Yeah , yeah .
Speaker 2I got to add that in there Disclaimer , so they don't feel bad Right .
Speaker 1But uh no , I got that and I got this candle pack from Amazon . It's like man since pack from amazon . It's like man sense . So it's like leather and ball sack sandalwood .
Speaker 2Yeah , there's a like a pine one that I'm a sucker for anything . Pine , yeah , I do like , I do like a good pine dr squash . Uh , the deodorants and whatnot they have like a um pine tar and alpine sage and like do you ?
Speaker 1see their latest endeavor .
Speaker 2Yeah , I did . Do you see ? They're already sold out . They're already on eBay for like $1,200 , $1,600 . Like , that's the dumbest I've ever heard of . Hey , I mean , like good for her , like , like and we're talking about Sydney Sweeney and talking about like watched bathwater . Yeah , um , soap , that she had come out with a limited I think it was like a limited like 1500 bars or something like that and they sold out in minutes . They ran out of bathwater .
Speaker 2So ridiculous man like I mean I get it and like I get those dudes that are thirsty as heck that'll , that'll buy that up and be all .
Speaker 1It's funny because , like I think , if you ask any of them , it's like oh dude , it was for the memes , but like it , it like borderlines the well . Actually , though , I kind of want to own a Sidney Sweeney barb at Backwater . I should keep it in my closet smell it every once in a while , only bust it out for special occasions I order .
Speaker 2So I get Dr Squatch stuff . I love it just cause it's like this dog's barking at me the whole time , now he's pawing at me . I love their stuff , man , I always get it Just because it's like , yeah , this dog's barking at me the whole time , now he's pawing at me . Yeah , I don't know , Come here , buddy . No , like I love their stuff , man , Like I always get it .
Speaker 1So I have some Squatch . I have used it in the past . Kevin actually got me a bunch of Lord of the Rings ones that I'm still sitting on . Oh yeah , the problem with soap is , I don't know if it's just me , but when you use soap like a bar soap , it it like either cleans my skin so well that I become like a dolphin , or it leaves a residue and I become like a dolphin . You know like when your skin gets like like uh , yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , um , like sticky almost , but I like sticky just clean , and I , I and I I gel soap doesn't do that , so I kind of stick to more gel than than bar soap , but I don't know if it's like just my tism or whatever , where it's like I don't like the feeling of like dolphin squeaky .
Speaker 2Yeah , so I I've had to like try different ones out , Like just , I mean , go through the gambit of them pretty much and like the , the deodorant is second to none for me yeah like it's , the deodorant is so good . But also like I was getting to the point like where , like I don't know , this is a , this is an odd tangent podcast , sure , but I was getting to a point like where , like my underarms were getting like just scorched yeah , yeah , that's an old spice , it was old spice , old spice would do that and I'd try some other things and it wasn't until I got to squash like where I was like okay , this is like I feel good again yeah like it doesn't .
Speaker 2You know , I'm not bothering like mine would get bad .
Speaker 1Like it , just red , yeah , just like red , and only under the armpit .
Speaker 2And I know other people have dealt with this dude because like it , yeah , it's always old spice yeah , there may be some other gel one , it's the the gel ones that do it more than anything um , I don't know what's in them that does that I .
Speaker 1I switched to dove for men . For men , no , it's okay , tough for women's , cool too , but they have , um , I just like a normal basic one for a while , and then they had a new one called moon oasis come out and it smells incredible .
Speaker 2So I bought like 20 yeah , if you find a good one , you gotta , you gotta buy them up .
Speaker 1Well , you don't know , they're gonna disappear like the scent's gonna go away , so I bought a ton and I love it to death , um , but yeah same thing . It went away after that . It's just Old Spice that eats up your pits , man .
Speaker 2It does , man , yeah , I found a couple of the Dr Squash ones that I really like Deodorant-wise . I think it's Birchwood Breeze , I think Is it expensive ? It's like $7 . Okay , but I'll buy like four , yeah , and that'll last me for a year , more a little more .
Speaker 1I stash him dude because like I'll have one in my backpack oh yeah that like lives with me . I have one on my desk because I'll like get up in the morning and just like go to my desk and be like oh man , I didn't , I didn't deal with it yet so when ?
Speaker 1you catch that first whiff , yeah , so I got the stick ready for me there and then obviously 20 of them in the bathroom , so like I have a deodorant everywhere , yeah , I had them in the car and then I left my backpack in the car during like a hot summer day a couple weeks ago and , uh , they , they melted , so I throw those away .
Speaker 2But I do have like , uh , emergency ones .
Speaker 1Yeah , like especially like playing shows and whatnot , and that was when I was noticing it , like getting really red , like was after shows and stuff too . So like having having that stuff has been awesome . Yeah , they uh . I've learned man deodorant in the bags , and then one of my big things too is having wet wipes in the car .
Speaker 2I have wet wipes .
Speaker 1There are probably for different reasons , but it's wet wipes in the car , so it's a kid thing because I dated a girl who had kids and that like yeah , it was crazy , but like that's , the best thing I learned was keep wet wipes in the car . Yeah , because like either it's food or like anything , I mean you're ready .
Speaker 2It helps you . You're ready . It helps a lot Wet wipes in general . Having around all the time is awesome .
Speaker 1Yeah , and I hate when I don't have them because it's like , oh man , I failed .
Speaker 2I wasn't prepared . Definitely , having kids have had me keep wet wipes in the car . It's definitely a clutch .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah . We also have a portable toilet in the car too , because that is also for you .
Speaker 2Uh , that's for me . Yeah , no , I'll go anywhere . Um , no , man , like it's my daughter , multiple times has been like I gotta go potty and right now and we're like we're in the middle of nothing , you know , and so luckily we have that . You just like take a plastic bag , line it whatever , set it down , she can sit on it and go Sure , sure , yeah , it's like a rat race .
Speaker 1That movie , yeah he's like all right , pop your butt out the window .
Speaker 2Let her rip . She would do it if I let her . Oh my God , 100% .
Speaker 1That's funny . Uh , that's funny . Uh , dude , uh
Evan's Big Career Change After 23 Years
Speaker 1, tell me about your life update or tell them about your life .
Speaker 2Uh , so I was at a um my work , that I was at , uh , I was there for 23 years , Um , and that's 23 years 23 years man , that's a long time it's that long .
Speaker 2It's 23 . Yeah , that's a long time . At one spot , and just a couple years ago , I got offered a job and I didn't take it which was probably a bit more pay , and I didn't take it . I was loyal to where I was and I wanted to keep watching it grow . 2025 , though it's been a rough year , especially in the print industry a rough year , uh , especially like in in the print industry uh , screen printing , embroidery , things like that . I think a lot of industries are are feeling the effects of 2025 , cause people are , you know , keeping their money tight to the chest right now , right , um , but I got a .
Speaker 2I got a job offer , um , from a company , uh , that I had been , I had admired for years now , um , uh , which is called printed threads , and they , uh , they made me an offer and I was like man , yeah , like let's do it . And so , you know , it was kind of like a scary jump , you know , to like stop something that you're so used to doing and and whatnot , but it just kind of felt like it was time , uh , it was time to make a change . You know , the the money was a nice increase , um , for me , and you know , I got , you know , a wife and three kids and so that always that helps quite a bit . Um , and just the opportunity , uh , to print and cast a wider net also is really nice .
Speaker 2They got bigger bandwidth too Much bigger bandwidth and they print , they're very involved in their community and they're very involved with , like just bands and things like that in the area . So it's like it's very cool . I mean , like I saw on the books yesterday or something like that , they had tripping Daisy Really Uh yeah , as as one of the bands they're printing shirts for . And I was like and I walked out there and I talked to one of them and I was like you , you guys are , we're doing tripping Daisy and and they were like , yeah , really cool . Oh , dogs Right , it's sniffing the microphone . But I was like that's super cool . And so I just , you know it's , it's a , it's a very cool shop , um , very , very up to date and , uh , like you know , kind of like their gear and whatnot . Everyone there has been super nice .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2Um , I'm just , it's real excited . I'm'm real excited just to just to try something new and uh , you know , it's , it's still like I'm still doing the same thing I was doing , um , just with a little bit more . Uh , like you said , bandwidth , yeah , yes , I guess hi step it right up in there . Um , so , yeah , man , yeah , I'm for you , I'm excited , I'm excited , uh just more opportunities , yeah yeah , um , and they're totally cool with me printing dick building merch um up there which is , which is we got ? A few orders I'm sure coming your way soon .
Speaker 2I'll , yeah , I'll gladly take them .
Speaker 1Yeah , I gotta do some echo play shirts , yeah , shirts , yeah . The problem is like I'm not gonna do like a hundred of them yeah or I know our minimum is like 24 , 24 ? Yeah , 24 that's not terrible just get a bunch of those cause I bought some like off of like some whatever Vista print like whatever cheap company , and it already faded off . Some like off of like some whatever this to print like whatever cheap oh yeah , and it already faded off yeah , they're not gonna be the high quality ones , like no .
Speaker 2I will say like that . That's really cool about the shop printing threads is that like just it's .
Speaker 1The quality is very nice , I want to try that . That . The one you talked about , the where it's like dyed in the shirt instead of like oh like water base .
Speaker 2Yeah , Water base print .
Speaker 1Yeah , man , it's uh cause I've seen shirts like that . They're really comfortable .
Speaker 2Cause it's like it's it's literally the shirt , it's not like an additional you know , yeah , it's additional costs and whatnot , but , man , if you're a shirt snob at all , you're going to be all about it . It's so nice , it's just so nice . I know , color-wise I'm not really limited to what we can print and how many colors we can put on . It's like 12 colors , but still that's just a nice step up . Nice , uh , nice step up .
Speaker 2I'm pretty pretty pumped about it now with that said , like I was , like I said I was at cornerstone for 23 years and I have a lot of memories there and I made a lot of friends there . Um , you know , and and majority that has been like very supportive , um in my move and whatnot . Yeah , um , which is kind of crazy though , cause , like you know , you've been somewhere for so long like you almost don't expect that move to happen . Yeah , but , um , here we are . Next chapter man . Yeah , next next chapter . Um , you know , know , I'm excited . I think Courtney's excited . That's good . You know the kids they don't really know . They know I'm going to a new spot , but they've only ever seen Cornerstone . They've not been up to Print Threads . So I know my older two will be pretty pumped about it when they go check it out for the first time yeah , they go see the shop .
Speaker 1They went to see the shop at Cornerstone .
Speaker 2They've been up there a few times . Yeah , um and yeah , the printed threads has got its own standalone building .
Speaker 1Um , just like a really cool aesthetic it's like it's really pleasing , Like now can we do the scene big design t-shirts over there .
Speaker 2Uh , you can , it is , it's a . I think it's a . It does cost because you have they . They have to get jumbo screens , right , um , so they do charge for that . But I mean , yeah , man , if you're down for the cost , they can definitely do it . Those oversized prints were really cool . Yeah , they can definitely do oversized . They have a bigger max print size than what I did , what we're used to . Yeah , yeah , I was going to say if you're doing a one color jumbo size , that'll probably be more cost effective , but if you're doing like the big one , you're paying for big screens for every color .
Speaker 1Yeah , I mean , I don't know , I'm down like I feel like people are down to spend the extra couple of bucks to get a good shirt , like I don't know Shirts for me , at least for the bands . Like , um , I'm more of like we're already spending a few hundred bucks , if not more than that , to like you know , why not spend a couple extra more just to have a , a dope shirt with a bunch of popping colors ? And like , not stick to the two color thing , just to save , save some money ? Like , bunch of popping colors and like not stick to the two color thing , just to save , save some money . Like , yeah , I'm all about doing a big design and I think people will , will buy them . I mean , think about it , dude . Like on on facebook or instagram or whatever .
Speaker 1Like you look , you see that stupid meme shirt that you're like , oh , dude , I have to get this and born in 1983 , sure , and the shirts like you know , 25 bucks or 20 bucks . You're like , oh , it's not so bad , it's not so bad . Then you get , like you go to the checkout and it's like , oh well , actually tax and then the service fee and then shipping , and now you're looking at like a $45 shirt . Yeah , so to get like niche shirts you so to get like niche shirts , you have to either do it in person at like a place , and when you do that , it's still going to be 25 , 30 bucks to get like a good premium shirt , which is what they are , and unless you're going to target , you know , and getting those shirts , which is what I , what I do and where is target , yeah , but .
Speaker 1I feel like it's not , it's not too bad , it's not . It's not too bad of an ask . And then people are supporting the bands . It goes like literally directly to us . There's no like label involved or anything like that . Cooper , you are in his face , dude , come here , come here , what are you ?
Speaker 2doing right now um , every time I stop petting me , just start sniffing the .
Speaker 1Yeah he gets all like dude , you're not done until I say you're done . But yeah , man , the whole shirts thing has been a big blessing Because , like I don't know , most of the cover bands and tributes seen out here don't do it , they don't tap into that man , they don't tap into it .
Speaker 2I don't know why no one does that . I know especially at
Band Merch Strategy and T-Shirt Success
Speaker 2least with the buildings like we tap into the nostalgia side of things and we just want to make fun shirts and put fun shirts out there for people Like the next one , the next one we're doing has got gizmo on it from gremlins . Does that have anything to do with the buildings ?
Speaker 2No , no it's not even the same decade . But that's a cool shirt and it says our name on the top of it , like that's just kind of fun , man , and so like that's like the whole buildings thing is tapping into the nostalgia side of it . Uh , so long a night , you know .
Speaker 2You guys tap into the warp tour side of it , like how everything you know looked at in that aesthetic back then , I have no idea why people do not in the circle , yeah , like not in our circle , but like in other bands , like just know that like the buildings do like an order of 60 shirts a month probably , you know , and we'll sell those shirts out and we'll go get another .
Speaker 1It pays another round of shirt so it pays for itself .
Speaker 2You just put that money back into it . I know , like on this last uh , last couple of things , like I for the buildings , I I took all the extra money , I think , and put it into patches , yep , uh , and more shirts and hats , and like I kind of spent more than I have in like a long time with whatever we had accrued up and just kind of did that yeah , and whatever extra you just tip out , yeah , and we just like send out the end of the show and be like , here you go .
Speaker 2But like , yeah , like I still have like probably 30 of those powerpuff girl badges which I'm about to put on hats here pretty quick , at least for , like , the next shows or whatever . But yeah , man , I don't understand why people don't tap into that industry a little bit more and tap into printing shirts .
Speaker 1If you're a tribute band , go find some old designs from that band that you're tributing to and adjust guess it , adjust it and alter it , and make it your own depends on on , I guess depends on the , the kind of band you're you're pushing for , like yeah , it , what's ? And this is the whole conversation , because it's like venues are closing down . Man like yes , we're getting more and more that are kind of tapping out , you know people , I guess I don't know man , I want , I want to know , like , where is it going wrong ? Is it like mismanagement of funds ? Is it people Cause , like you ask every venue and it's like , well , will the people just aren't coming anymore . It's like , well , they're out there , dude , they're out there , dude , like people have money , they're out there .
Speaker 1Like you see some of these shows where it's like it is packed , like sold out , whatever , like people are out there and want to spend their money . It's just like capturing that audience . And I don't know , like circling back to bands and how you like make yourself marketable for venues . That's all part of it . And then you wonder why you're not booked . Or you wonder why , like no one comes to your show . Well , guess what ? Dude , like all the echo play bands put money towards advertising . We do our own flyers . We , you know , like we kind of we put money back into the band .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 1Like we play the little game of of being that that you know band of , like you know doing the flyers and making shows enticing .
Speaker 2We have the merch , we have the you know like it's . We want to make it more of an experience and have fun with everybody , and you know like I mean . Behind us right now is a blanket made of different shirts from all the bands right now and just like I mean , there's so many on here and like it's . It's , it's crazy , like it's fun , it's fun for everybody else .
Speaker 2Like you know , we've had people show us their building shirts collection and like it's it's crazy , yeah it's crazy , there's a one family that's got like 56 shirts , 56 shirts we'd open the dick buildings museum . I mean you , you know 56 times , you know 56 times , you know 20 , like damn , like you , like , thank you . Yeah , like you know they they'll get one for for their entire family . Yeah , um , I showed that gizmo shirt at the last at the crawfish show and , uh , I had someone instantly was like we'll take four of those when they come out and like cool like that .
Speaker 2You know that almost pays for it the dicks are like they .
Speaker 1Uh , they've definitely caught that wave . I think there's a momentum with it for sure . Yeah , people gotta have some people just gotta have the next dick shirt .
Speaker 2We gotta , we make them , we make them fun enough to where , like , almost like I think we made it to where like , and almost like I think we made it to where the people collect them now . Yeah , so like , it's like , there's , you know , there's a built in like I have to have that shirt , kind of thing . Yep , but when we go play Texas live , every time we're at Texas live , there's the majority of the people have never seen us before and so it's always like selling a shirt for the first time for those people . And that's why we do the Ranger shirts , the Ranger themed shirts , out there , because you know we're playing a post Ranger game and that's the shirt they'll get . But there's , you know , shirts for all different occasions .
Speaker 2Man , it's a , it's a market . I don't know why . More people . I tried to . I tried to post something on it in the DFW tribute bands and fans page and I got some black hole , dude , it got dude . They know the people they like on that page and they'll support those people and everyone else is just a bystander . Yeah , like , pretty much like there's no getting through that Like . That's a , it's like a , like a lunch table click .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2You know , like you , you may be in the same cafeteria , but you ain't at that lunch table .
Speaker 1Yeah , I get it and I feel like it's kind of an older demographic too . It is in there .
Speaker 2I you know , every time there's someone posting a video like I look at the who posted it . It's the same person every time . Right , right , I'm like all right , cool .
Speaker 1Just flooding flooding that I think it's like . The idea of it is is cool , but like , all I see is just either bitching or , you know , check out my band , check out my band , check out my band , and it's like that . That that's great and you want to market yourself , but like you got to stand out and you know that's , I mean in a , in a market , that's so , like that's what it's not .
Speaker 2It's not like the live band anymore , like that's playing these venues , it's a tribute or a cover band and that's what people are going for , because they play longer and they play things that people know and like yep , you know , playing original stuff is kind of weird to do at a show now , unless it's like it's you're 100 , it just depends like it depends , dude , because like yeah , it , it's so big for us , because that's our world and I feel like , in the general sense of people going out and having fun , that's what they're going to opt for .
Speaker 1Versus like , well , russian roulette tonight to see if this guy's any good .
Speaker 1I hope this band's good yeah exactly , yeah , where you go to a . Now , granted , there are terrible , terrible covers of tributes . Yes , it won't name names , but you know , I think that's part of the appeal of being a cover tribute , because , yeah , you go to the bar like I want to hear Toadies or like I want to hear whatever , and you know the band's going to play it and they're going to have a good time and it's going to be reminiscent and nostalgia and all that stuff . So I think that's unless you're country , you know , or something like that where it's like it's kind of a free pass , you know , you do country , you're going to do okay in Fort Worth , you know um or wherever you'll get booked in the stockyards or private shows and and whatnot .
Speaker 1Even if you sound exactly the same as someone else or like like good luck trying to do something new in that category . But who are we to speak on that Cause ?
Speaker 2we're all cover tributes yeah , yeah , but there's certain I mean there's people who do it really well , yeah , and then there's people who just like get by doing it .
Speaker 1Um , air font is talking about the . It's funny . I uh , uh , it's a Motley Crue tribute and uh , um , I , every time I see their name , I think it's it's Cruelligans , like Cruella . Oh , the Cruelligans , it's .
Speaker 2Cruelligans Cause like Motley Crue , and I'm like I don't know why it didn't click in my brain Like immediately it's Cruelligans .
Speaker 1No , I just would always say kreligans , but uh , he was saying how like he was saying how they have like three different tiers of show where they have , you know , your , your normal tribute act . They dress up , they go and they play . Then they have like one where it's like they got the dancers and like the carnival of sin era . Then you have one where it's like the drums have the hydraulics and like he's spinning around and everything and it's like there you go , Like you're that's investing right there . I think that that is going like I don't I will never go that far , but I appreciate like it's going the whole nine yards taking , you know .
Speaker 2I mean , if you're a crew fan , though , like you're going to like , you're going to love that , you know you're going to love that . And you're a crew fan , though , like you're gonna like , you're gonna love that , you know , yeah , and you're gonna pay for it you know , getting getting that kind of show , but , um , not as much as the real molly crew , no , and it probably sounds infinitely better .
Speaker 1Because what's his name ?
Speaker 2vince neil is yeah that's I mean that is the thing with some of these singers like that that got there and sing like they're . They're not , their voice hasn't been pushed to the max limits on all these other things . They can sit there and hold their their own longer and whatnot , and not saying you know anything's better than the original thing .
Speaker 1But I mean like no , yeah , I'll say that Some of them are rough Sometimes it can be better than the original . The original , like I'll , I'll straight up .
Speaker 2I've said this before , like you watch deftones live , and it is a a mess . Yeah , chino , chino's been written hard and put away wet .
Speaker 1I mean chino , chino , but that's like chino's thing . Like I'm talking like the tempo is just crazy all over the place and it is hit or miss with , like you know , all that crazy stuff , and you're there for the vibe and the visuals . But like I tell you what , like you know , with what we do with elite , where we practice and everything is , you know , timed , and like we pride ourselves on the accuracy of it , I mean it's going to be more to the record than you know , because no one's gonna . I don't know , we're not deftones , yeah , so we go up there and start fiddling around or like you know sounding you know less quality of the product that they put out . People are gonna be like , okay , well , y'all suck . So there's kind of that pressure of it too tributes and covers .
Speaker 2If you go to see a tribute , like you want it to sound yeah like the original exactly sound like . Oh , it's kind of like the original .
Speaker 1They
Tribute Bands and Venue Challenges
Speaker 1took a lot of liberties there , exactly um I mean , and it it's hit or miss , like you know , same thing with tool , where everyone's just so like so intense that that fan base , so like we kind of don't take it super seriously cause we , we know the songs , we play them and we have fun playing them , cause it's just fun to play they're , they're , they're like puzzles . But I'll also like throw in a little thing here , like a little little , you know pinch harmonic , just to like make Kevin laugh .
Speaker 2That's not what's on the route no .
Speaker 1I know , do they get so ? But oh my God , there there was a band , uh , there . Uh , this just happened on Facebook where , uh , someone commented , who's in another tool tribute , and we posted a tribute . And we posted a uh like a marketing , like a little compilation video with like the actual song of jombie because that's our , our name , jombie and uh , he's like , oh , uh , guess you got to use the real song to sell it , not your . How you guys sound and it's like tool off , geez , he's like . And then what's great , what's great about that was everyone in the comments was like , oh , sorry , man , uh , glad you weren't there to ruin the mood , kind of thing . And and I'm like , hey , cool , the fans are there . Yeah , let them , let them take care of it like god . Just , we're all in tributes and covers . Man , there is no room are they a local one ?
Speaker 1others down and like huh , were they a local one ? I think so . Yeah , they were like local to whatever Oklahoma or whatever . But , um , yeah , it's like come on , man , facebook warriors , yeah .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's funny .
Speaker 1So I'm like I guess it's time to do some covers . We'll have to set up the little . I think all the bands yeah , probably everyone needs to jump in on that . We need some more material .
Speaker 2Everyone needs to jump in on that probably . Yeah 2025 has been crazy busy . We're booked . Yeah , we're pretty booked . When Evan was down , I had free reign to just book stuff because Kevin was filling in . So we all share a calendar with all four bands that , like you know . So it's like pretty much first come , first serve on some dates and so I just like , ran through the gambit of like just booking , booking , booking I mean we're , we're like every weekend , june , july is our break , and then July .
Speaker 2I go out twice in July . Yeah , I think it is .
Speaker 1I have four shows in July .
Speaker 2Oh yeah , um , that's not bad for you though .
Speaker 1August . That's tame , yeah , it's tame . Um Kind of start lighting , light , lighting up , lightening up In October , november , december . But there's some big shows coming , dude . We have a big metal fest coming . Y'all do , who does ? I'm gonna I don't know how much I can say , but we're doing it at Haltom and it's gonna be like six bands , five bands .
Speaker 2Which one of yours is doing it ?
Speaker 1All of them the John B and Deftones .
Speaker 2Okay .
Speaker 1Yeah , john B and Elite . So we're going to team up with some other metal bands metal tributes and do like a big metal fest . And I pitched , I was like , dude , do you want to do this ? And he was like , absolutely so . And Haltom is so easy . Haltom's like you know , chaz is super easy to work with and I cause I haven't worked with him . I haven't worked with him directly , um , for any of the shows that we've done in the past . And I just reached out and he was just like so chill , dude , like cool , we keep this , you keep that done . Nice , I'm like , okay , I know , at Haltom it's like , I don't know , I like it . I think it's a cool vibe . I know the area is not great , but I don't know . I think there's something about it , kind of like Chain Reaction back home , where it's like I've played Chain Reaction before .
Speaker 1It's not the greatest venue , but there's something in the air .
Speaker 2I enjoyed Chain Reaction .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2There's a video on YouTube of me playing in the original .
Speaker 1Really .
Speaker 2Yeah , at Chain Reaction . Pretty sure I'll probably look it up and find it With Valera .
Speaker 1Yeah , okay , I'll look it up and find it so I can . Valera Chain Reaction .
Speaker 2Cool yeah , man , cool yeah man . Well , that was a a tangent podcast , but very much . A tangent podcast is more like you guys are like listening on a conversation that evan and I are having .
Speaker 1Well , that's what people keep saying they like , yeah , they like that .
Speaker 2So there you are cool . We talked about everything .
Speaker 1Dr squash armpits a lot of sponsored uh , a lot of sponsorships in this , this episode . Yeah , that'd be nice . Send some , send some shit please . Yeah , we'll try everything and be honest . Just send it our way .
Speaker 2Yeah , we'll talk about it . Good or bad , we'll review things . We're just going to start a YouTube channel where we review stuff and get reactions . I guess that's like how you make money now . No one's ever done that before , dude . No , I'm going to start it now . It's a brand new idea .
Speaker 1Yeah , a brand new idea . Idea tell us what you want us to react to . Yep , in the comments below . Yep , I remember that youtube channel like , uh , I fear they're a call , but they like try to copyright the react videos because they were like we're apparently the first to do it and it just backfired . Yeah , it's dumb . Yeah , all right y'all . Thank you for listening . Yeah , we will catch you on the next episode .
Speaker 2Whenever that may be .
Speaker 1Whenever it may be .
Speaker 2Bye .
Speaker 1Bye .