Guys Of A Certain Age

Steve Taylor, recording artist, filmmaker and producer, is back for part two of his interview covering his directing career and recent entry as a member to the PGA (Producers Guild of America).

Jay and Robbie’s formative years were spent listening to Steve Taylor’s music.  Then Robbie grew up, became a video media guru, crossed paths with Steve in the film world, and that’s the focus of this episode’s interview.  From avant-garde film school, to Donald Miller, and on to Sketch (recently in theaters), Steve’s film career as a director, producer, and early adapter of Kickstarter funding is quite the adventure.  

This week’s Geeks takes an interesting turn…Robbie forgets to bring one!  But Art and Jay save the day, with news of Marvel exiting the Peach State and a rumor about the new (in many ways) James Bond.  Pop some popcorn and head to the movies with Steve Taylor!

Some creatives are really good at one thing and dabble in everything else.  Others, like Steve Taylor, seem to be really good at everything they touch. Or sing. Or produce. Or direct. All the things.  

In this episode, part 1 of 2, Robbie interviews Steve, covering his music career as a singer and producer, with stories of the early days of contemporary Christian music.  Steve talks about the beginnings of his career as a director, first in music videos then onto features as he grew as a filmmaker.  Wax museums, big tops and Violent Blue caves are all name checked.

But before Steve tells his tales, The Guys tell a few of their own.  Art’s Geek of the Week is the long-awaited arrival of the first Mando Grogu movie trailer, or is it The Muppets Invade the Outer Rim? Speaking of Star Wars, Jay finds yet another place to vacation with blasters within reach, and this time it’s close enough to drive.  Robbie has sad news, but not a celebrity obit: Spiderverse 3 is again delayed.  But the good news is, Steve Taylor is here!  

It’s Season Three of a Strange Old Guys podcast.  Or it’s a very long Season One.  It’s hard to tell.  But The Guys have all watched Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and have things to say.  

Did it live up to the previous seasons?  Will they keep watching when Season Four comes along?  Should Anson Mount’s hair get a separate credit? These questions and more may or may not be answered.  

In Geeks of the Week, Jay reflects on some Emmy nominations as he looks at some new food and drink shows hitting the stream-waves this fall.  Art is lost in space, but pops in via the magic of the Rodecaster Pro to give his thoughts as the resident Trekkie and to celebrate the anniversary of another classic show.  Robbie does a compare and contrast of a sort with Daredevil Season 3 and The Muppet Show Season 47.  Or something like that.  

Lots of interesting Emmy’s for the geek world are discussed as well as the loss of Hydra’s leader.  Listen where no man has listened before.  

There comes a time in a Guy’s life, especially at a certain age, when he begins to realize that things are not as important as experiences with the people he loves.  Or perhaps he’s just run out of room for things, and the people he thought loved him told him he couldn’t buy any more things.  (Thought we were getting philosophical there, didn’t you?) 

Well, Jay has had an epiphany of sorts, and he’s ready to share.  Instead of getting more stuff, he’s focusing on doing more stuff - Guys of a Certain Age don’t have all day, you know.  With Robbie out on the road having his own experiences (called “work”), Art and Jay hit the studio to talk concerts, bucket lists, trips, productivity and marriage.  (This episode truly has it all.)

Jay’s Geek of the Week even follows the pattern, with a Hardy Boy experience he probably won’t be able to attend.  What he Khan do, though, is listen to the new audio Star Trek series that Art told him - and the world - about. 

Robbie is involved in the restaurant industry, Jay is involved in food media, and Art has a storied history in food marketing.  It’s a wonder that the episodes aren’t shorter so they can get to lunch faster.  And it’s no wonder that the subjects often trend towards food.

This episode evolved out of both hunger and a listener request.  The Guys are based in an SEC college football town, and it’s the beginning of the season.  Fans gotta’ eat, but where?  What if all the well-known and loved places in town have long waits?  Or what if there are terrific places to grab a bite that might not even show up on Yelp?  That’s what The Guys are here for.  Art was out of the studio (eating?) but still sent in his favorites.  Local places are covered, with plenty of emphasis on gas stations and grocery stores, plus spots in surrounding counties that are easily accessible on the way in or out of town.  

If you’re hungry for another Superman movie, it’s coming … tomorrow, but in 2027.  If you want to buy Darth Vader’s light saber, you’re too late.  And if you want to eat dinner at The Shed at Dulwich, you’d better have a backup plan.  See you off the beaten path.

The instructions were clear.  The topic was to be TV series The Guys were enjoying currently that the others might not be watching.  

Robbie understood the assignment (since he made the assignment) with Stick and The Sandman season two.  Art understood the assignment, mentioning the new season of Wednesday, with honorable mention for the reboot of King of the Hill. Jay did not understand the assignment, but still recommends The Office for a lot of good reasons.  

Perhaps he will be redeemed with his Geek of the Week audiobook recommendation, Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller.  Art talks James Gunn’s willingness to shake up the cast list in the DCU, and Robbie breaks the news of a telling hint drop that could get interesting for fans of Princess Leia.  Movies, TV, Books and plenty of random conversation: this podcast has everything!

If an episode has ever gone completely off the rails of intended subject matter, this is the one.  The Guys had a topic, but before they even got to Geeks of the Week, the subject had changed and the original topic forgotten.  

Those sorts of things happen when a body consumes all the flavors of Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers at once, or puts away a six pack of Zimas.  Or in this case, when The Guys start conversing.  Bartles and Jaymes coolers don’t seem to be available in their zip code, and even Japan quit selling Zima a few years ago.  But somehow, the hosts jumped on the nostalgia bus for drinks (or the advertisements for such) that they were likely too young to consume when they could actually be found at the county line.  

Geeks of the Week include yet another upcoming movie updating an 80’s TV show, a Happy Tarzan Day greeting to aaaa-ahahah-aaa-lll who celebrate, and a podcast record set by none other than the future Mrs. Travis Kelce.  Jay closes out the League of Regrettable Superheroes segment, but not to worry - the Legion of Regrettable Supervillains is coming!  We thank you for your support.  

It’s family reunion season, or so it seems.  Jay has been to one in the last month, missed another, and is heading to a third.  Robbie went north for the annual Coblentz-Con reuniting a baker’s dozen brothers.  

Perhaps one day all three Guys will have a reunion and be able to record together 2 weeks in a row.  They can dream!  And apparently, reunion people can also eat.  Hanging out with family you haven’t seen in a while is the ultimate goal of a reunion, but a close second is sharing a dish or twenty around a very large table, and everybody does it a little differently.  Speaking of differently, the old standby roadside restaurant Cracker Barrel is shaking things up a bit, too.  New logo, new decor, new vibes are coming - will it work?  The Guys offer their take, while on the site where a local Cracker Barrell almost wasn’t.  

Robbie has double Geeks of the Week but within the same genre.  Wanna’ take a guess at “Who” he’s talking about?  Jay notes a retcon in the new Peacemaker season that is fascinating, but will only be seen (by him, at least) in the Instagram reel where he discovered it.  (Sorry, Mr. Cena.) Grab a piece of rhubarb pie, call the family, and listen to this episode before they start a water fight.

This week, the Guys take a long overdue return to the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons-not the recent movie or the old cartoon from the 80s, but the legendary role-playing game.

There’s no way around this descriptor: this episode is Fantastic.  But be-Four The Guys get to The Thing they came to talk about, there are notable Geeks of the Week to mention.  

Jay heard about a Hamilton cast member who’s been there from day one, and hopes the same will happen to him in this podcast.  Robbie geeks out over a potential Star Wars-Dr. Who crossover (well, sort of - with a cast member, at least.)  And Art - in his own special segment, soon to be known as the Optimist with the Obituaries (they’re still workshopping the title)- shares sad news about one of WKRP’s finest.  

In Jay’s Regrettable Segment, ROM the Spaceknight gets special coverage: Robbie has been waiting for this one to get to Earth-1012.  Then they get to the final Stretch, a discussion of the MCU’s latest gift to the theater: Fantastic Four, First Steps.  This may be the best FF ever, less Torched by the critics than any of the variants thus far, and The Guys agree.  Good casting overall, balanced story with perhaps some nuances not seen very often in superhero flicks (spoiler: there’s a baby), terrific sets, fascinating time setting, useful mid-credit scene, and fun music.  

The MCU may not be Invisible much longer.