Episode Details

On this episode of Circling The Drain, Johnny B, Jay Harper, and Jim talk about how political division has seeped into every corner of entertainment and media. They trade stories from talk radio, debate Trump’s influence on patriot events, and unpack why fans are turning on artists who get too political from the stage.

The guys also reminisce about women who changed rock (Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Amy Lee), underrated girl and boy bands, and classic film stars and directors. They hit on the Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean controversies, the 250th celebration tied to Trump, CMA Fest politics, and how talk radio and cable news are burning people out. It’s part nostalgia, part media critique, and part “can we please just enjoy a show again?”

Includes:
 – Behind-the-scenes stories from talk radio and WTN
 – How politics hijacked July 4th and the 250th celebration
 – Country music’s culture war: Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Beyoncé, CMA/ACM awards
 – Why conservative talk radio has become an echo chamber
 – Classic crushes and icons: Linda Ronstadt, Bridget Fonda, Cher, Marilyn Monroe
 – Film noir, Turner Classic Movies, and Spielberg’s new UFO film
 – Trace Adkins, Taylor Sheridan, and dream casting for Yellowstone-style shows

Timed Highlights:
 0:00 Lioness, Linus and dad-joke cold open
 0:45 Johnny B, Jay, and Jim check in and bust chops on age and birthdays
 2:50 Sharing birthdays with Tom Cruise, Andrew Garfield, Demi Lovato, Amy Adams, Scorsese, and Danny DeVito
 4:10 Jim’s last-minute save as a baseball PA announcer and learning the lingo on the fly
 7:50 Mercy rules, softball vs baseball pace, and why tournament ball can be brutal
 8:45 Rush’s new drummer on tour and pulling off Tom Sawyer live
 10:15 Blink-182’s drummer, plane crashes, DJ AM, and guilty-pleasure pop bands
 12:10 Boy bands, Backstreet Boys, The Bangles, Go-Go’s, and needing more women drummers and guitarists
 14:15 Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Amy Lee, and greatest female rock vocalists
 15:59 Linda Ronstadt stories, studios in Nashville, and realizing you’ve been sitting next to a legend
 19:10 Aging icons: Linda Ronstadt, Cher turning 80, separating politics from performance
 21:14 Trump, De Niro, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and when politics ruins the art
 22:38 Trump’s 250th celebration, Martina McBride and Bret Michaels backing out
 25:00 Can we have a non-political patriotic event anymore? Remembering the 1976 Bicentennial
 29:30 Covid money printing, tariffs, gas prices, and why voters always come back to their wallets
 31:00 Bruce Springsteen, the Black Crowes, and crowds telling artists to “shut up and play”
 32:10 CMA Fest, Justin Pearson, and bringing politicians on stage to rant
 32:58 Music Row’s political disconnect from the country audience
 33:37 Morgan Wallen being ignored by awards shows despite massive popularity
 33:58 Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” Columbia courthouse, and outrage over the video
 34:51 A billion streams, Congressional recognition, and producing the songwriter podcast
 35:58 10–15 years of politics dividing entertainment
 36:34 Steve Earle, protest songs, and when stage rants kill the vibe
 37:10 Dixie Chicks backlash, Natalie Maines, and radio phones melting down
 37:50 Playing Dixie Chicks on classic country formats and the name-change wars (Dixie Chicks, Lady A)
 38:33 College indoctrination, Jim Breuer’s bit, and “racist, sexist, gender” on repeat
 39:40 Campus politics then vs now, old-school professors who actually debated
 40:59 Talk radio turning into an echo chamber and worshipping Trump
 41:38 Jim getting heat on WTN for criticizing Trump’s spending
 42:21 Audience demanding red meat and nothing but politics
 44:16 Burnout from politics on air: filling in at WTN and being exhausted by the news cycle
 45:18 Fox News running nonstop in the background