For the first time on TTMB we had a couple on the podcast! We welcomed Kelan's brother Kasey and his girlfriend Kris, and they showed us that love can transcend time and space. They met when they were kids but didn't start dating until more recently, and although they partly regret being blind to each other for so long, they mostly appreciate the way that life brings you around to someone when the time is right. They shared some songs that tie them together, but we also got to spend some time individually reminiscing on memories of loved ones. It was so wonderful to listen to their love story and their life stories. We thank them for joining us in Kelan's sun room because we didn't have access to the studio while they were in town, and we thank you for listening. Please let us know what you think!
Full Transcript
This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary.
0:04Welcome to the Show: Kasey & Kris's Love Story
You know, when you hear a song and it triggers a memory, it instantly takes you back to a particular person or place or moment.
This podcast is all about that song and those memories.
Welcome to That Takes Me Back, where we share stories that connect music and memories.
We're your hosts.
0:20
Kellen, David.
0:21Speaker 2
And Maya Sage and on today's episode.
0:28Speaker 3
Continue on with this thing with because the only other song that like really came to my mind when I thought of a specific thong, that song that made me.
There's a specific thong that was like so good.
Let me tell you that it takes you back.
0:45
It does, yeah.
0:49Speaker 2
I just wanted to say that it was so lovely to have a couple on the podcast.
0:54Speaker 1
It was nice to hear a love story told by the two people sitting in the room.
And this love story has been going on for a lot of years, it turns.
1:05Speaker 2
Out.
Yeah, they sort of had different paths that merged together after many, many years of knowing each other, which is so romantic.
Yeah.
Well, and they mentioned that like they were very different people back in the day when they did first know each other.
And despite writing I love you in all of her yearbooks, they maybe weren't ready for that.
1:27
And I think that's really valid and really cute.
And I I thought it was nice that one of the first songs we talked about was the song that kind of tied the two of them together.
It's like a little bit of a shared that takes me back.
1:39Speaker 1
I love it.
That's so cool.
1:40Speaker 2
It was cool and it was cool that then we kind of got to hear from both of them individually.
1:45Speaker 1
Yeah, totally.
It was.
It was so cool to have somebody who I know so, so well in my brother.
Then there's Chris, who is, you know, relatively new to my life.
When we recorded this, I had, you know, hung out a handful of times.
2:02
And so to have this perspective and have her share it with us was so cool to.
Yeah.
Have this balance of somebody who I know and love and you know, somebody who came in and and has been there the whole time somehow.
2:19Speaker 2
Yeah, it was a lot of fun.
I do want to have a bit of a disclaimer that our recording situation necessitated the two of them being in one microphone and there is a little bit more crosstalk than we would normally have in an episode.
So just be kind when you're listening.
2:38
I couldn't edit it's.
2:39Speaker 1
It's it's endearing because you get to hear them together.
2:42Speaker 2
And yes.
2:43Speaker 1
And and it's maybe, yeah, just more genuine to hear them and their love story.
And you can't necessarily edit out to the things that they're yeah.
2:51Speaker 2
The way they finish each other's sentences, right?
And yeah.
And yeah.
And you can hear the love for each other while they're sitting close together.
They're talking in the same microphone.
So it was really cute.
It was a great, it was a great recording session and I'm grateful that they came in and shared their story with us.
3:08Speaker 1
Yeah, it was awesome.
3:10Speaker 2
Yeah, and we hope you enjoy listening.
3:14From Childhood Friends to Future Husband & Wife
Did you have a song that popped out first thing?
Should.
3:17Speaker 4
We introduce ourselves.
3:19Speaker 2
Yes, sorry, sorry.
You're right, because.
3:22Speaker 4
No one knows who they're We are listening.
3:26Speaker 1
To would you mind introducing yourselves that's.
3:34Speaker 3
So helpful.
3:37Speaker 1
We get around to it.
If if you had not reminded us, we would have remembered like 1/2 an hour from.
3:43Speaker 2
Now my name.
3:44Speaker 4
Is Chris and I am Casey's girlfriend from?
Well, I live in Monument, Co and I am a professional body piercer.
Oh that's cool.
4:00
And shop manager and I own a cottage food bakery.
4:07Speaker 3
Your mom.
4:08Speaker 4
I'm a mom.
4:10Speaker 1
Cool welcome.
4:12Speaker 3
I'm Casey.
I'm Chris's boyfriend and we already established that though, but we've known each other since we were like 7 or something like that.
And I'm a teacher.
4:27
I've been a teacher, high school teacher for a long time.
I have an amazing daughter who's 10 years old, lived in Colorado my whole life and done a bunch of things and I love music and that and.
4:38Speaker 4
We haven't been together since we were 7.
4:40Speaker 3
No, no, but I did.
4:43Speaker 1
Like 7 1/2.
4:46Speaker 4
He doesn't remember that he was my boyfriend in 6th.
4:50Speaker 2
Grade No.
4:50Speaker 3
Way.
Don't remember that, but in her yearbook I wrote about being Wow.
4:55Speaker 2
No, hey, that's crazy.
4:58Speaker 1
Wow so so like how is the on again off again relationship going?
5:02Speaker 4
Across the street from me.
5:05Speaker 1
Sorry, say that again.
5:06Speaker 4
His first kiss was the girl who lived across the street from.
5:09Speaker 1
Me.
Oh wow.
5:11Speaker 4
He could have just knocked on the other door.
5:15Speaker 3
Yeah.
5:16Speaker 2
Wow.
5:16Speaker 3
You weren't putting out at that time, Yeah.
5:20Speaker 4
I guess not.
I wasn't so.
5:24Speaker 3
And in her, in her 12th grade yearbook, the senior year, I said I love you.
Well, actually I said I love you in all your yearbooks.
Yes, but I also wrote Future Husband in there.
5:36Speaker 2
That is so wow.
God, wow.
5:40Speaker 3
Anyway, where were you?
5:41Speaker 4
We reconnected 1011 months ago.
5:45Speaker 3
Yep, and we've been together ever since.
5:48Speaker 1
And you guys just have a birthday and you're turning 120?
5:53Speaker 3
I'll be if you.
5:54Speaker 4
Add them together it.
5:56Speaker 3
Would be 90 yeah, so.
6:00Speaker 1
OK.
So 90 years between you, Yeah.
6:03Speaker 4
So we hadn't seen each other since we graduated.
6:06Speaker 3
Yeah.
6:07Speaker 4
So 99 we connected in 2024.
6:10Speaker 3
We were in touch in between.
6:12Speaker 1
And Casey and I so, so for the listeners, Casey and I are brothers.
We did a landscaping job for your mom.
And that was maybe partially a little bit of a reconnection there.
Yeah, that's.
6:26Speaker 2
Cool.
6:27Speaker 3
And I don't know if Kellen remembers, but I was like, I love Chris.
Chris is so amazing.
Yeah.
And I was like, she's so hot.
I was like, you've got to go look at the picture on the on the piano.
6:37Speaker 1
Yeah, I made several copies that.
6:40Speaker 4
Was my senior picture, so that was from like 98.
6:44Speaker 1
Oh wow.
Yeah, well.
6:48Speaker 3
She was pretty.
6:48Speaker 1
It didn't be well, so that's good.
6:50Speaker 2
So I would love to know, do you have any memories of like your opinions of each other when you were back in?
Like do you, do you remember, like what you much of what you thought of the other person while you were in school?
7:02Chris's 6th Grade Mixtape from Casey
Yeah, a bunch.
7:04Speaker 4
We hung out in different crowds.
7:06Speaker 3
In high.
7:07Speaker 2
School.
OK, see, honestly, that makes sense, though I feel like that is actually usually the people that end up together, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
7:14Speaker 3
But I wrote in everyone of her yearbook, I love you and my my thoughts that I have was like choose always somebody that I just really liked a lot and I always had just felt so comfortable with and was able just to be just totally real and myself.
7:31
And I think even though we were in different crowds and stuff in high school, like that's why I would say future husband in your yearbook and we actually made this little deal in the high school.
7:41Speaker 4
That we would if we weren't with anybody but in like 5.
7:45Speaker 3
Years.
How long it actually was?
Yeah.
7:47Speaker 4
We would like reconnect and get married.
7:48Speaker 2
That was so cute.
7:50Speaker 4
But actually one of my music memories is in 6th grade, he gave me a tape of They Might Be Giants, and he doesn't remember doing that.
8:06
No way.
But it was like my first, like, mixtape from a so boy.
And he like handwrote, you know, like all the songs.
8:15Speaker 2
On Oh my God, Thank you.
8:20Speaker 3
Gave her a mixtape in 6th grade, yeah.
8:23Speaker 1
I love it.
8:23Speaker 2
You know, it's real when you're exchanging music.
Yeah, that's The thing is like, you know, yeah.
8:29Speaker 3
Which since we reconnected, that was like a big part of what we did was just share music with each other.
8:35Speaker 1
And that's cool.
And back then a mixtape was, it took work to like make a mixtape.
It wasn't just like, here's a playlist.
8:42Speaker 4
Yeah, it's not like he went out and thought they might be giants.
Like he had to like, record it onto right another one.
And so there's effort.
8:52Speaker 2
Yeah, totally.
The whole time he's like, I know Chris is gonna like this.
8:56Speaker 1
And so you have that tape framed at home.
Is this is that?
9:00Speaker 4
Right.
I probably have it, to be honest, somewhere in one of my boxes.
Oh, wow.
I have to find it.
Yeah, you should, because I keep every.
Yeah, it was Istanbul.
And then birdhouse.
Birdhouse in your soul.
Birdhouse in your soul is the one that.
9:16Speaker 1
I love that song.
9:17Speaker 4
Reminds me of him.
9:19Speaker 1
Oh nice, that's awesome.
10:12Speaker 4
Well, what back in like, what was it 1986 No 19 let.
10:18Speaker 2
Me see.
10:20Speaker 4
1990.
10:21Speaker 2
90, yeah.
10:24Speaker 4
So he's like, I gotta share this with the maybe.
10:27Speaker 1
So you're welcome.
10:27Speaker 4
Even though I don't remember the.
10:31Speaker 3
Coolest thing I've ever heard.
10:32Speaker 1
Well, that's The thing is that, you know, the thought still counts even if it's doesn't remain in his memory.
Yes, right.
10:41Speaker 3
Yes, show me that things matter, even if I don't remember them.
10:44Speaker 1
I mean, there there's a lot of times I get in trouble for things that I don't remember doing so.
10:49Casey's Intense 'Crimson and Clover' Experience
You're just apologizing.
10:50Speaker 1
Yep.
10:53Speaker 4
What about you, Casey?
10:55Speaker 3
What's the question?
10:57Speaker 2
Did you have well, I love that we just like naturally found a song for you to bring us back to.
But I was curious, like when you very first heard the idea of Kellen's podcast, if there was a song that like jumped out at you first thing?
11:10Speaker 4
There's 3.
11:12Speaker 3
I think originally there was one that first did and then I kind of like laughed at it.
But Crimson and Clover?
11:20Speaker 2
Oh, OK, OK.
11:22Speaker 4
Why?
11:24Speaker 3
Well.
11:25Speaker 1
We'll ask the questions.
11:26Speaker 3
Around here, Why?
I know, I know.
She's trying to trap me.
I'm like, oh gosh.
12:00Speaker 2
So take us back with you.
12:02Speaker 3
That will bring.
12:03Speaker 4
You back to.
12:04Speaker 3
When when he first like talked about this, I was like, oh, like songs that evoke memories that like when you hear it, that you think of a particular time and feeling and stuff.
It was like one of the early times when I ever smoked weed.
And I was at the apartment in Golden.
12:21
It must have been 2000.
I was maybe 20 years old and I was with my brother Chris and we, we went out and 1st like we explored all around this like forest area and like we're like playing make believe games and it was so fun.
12:39
And then we came back in and sat in front of the speakers and listen to this song really loud and and it was just like the like reverbie that you know that.
12:51Speaker 1
Like phaser kind?
12:52Speaker 3
Of thing.
And it was just like this super intense feeling of just like amazing nips of like flying like an eagle over this, like amazing, I don't know, landscape or something.
And and it was just like as it as it goes on, you know, like to the very end to it's like, you know, like that that part.
13:13
Then it's like it just like, I don't know, hit you hard.
Yeah.
13:16Speaker 1
It was like, it was like made to listen to, right?
13:20Speaker 3
Yeah.
13:20Speaker 2
I can see I mean it.
It makes you want to float like listening.
13:24Speaker 3
Right.
Yeah, yeah.
And so it brings.
That's what brings like that's the memory that I go to when I hear the song.
But we chose to listen to it at that time because of the history that it already had, because of the meaning that I already had, because we had been actually like the first band that we had was Burning Flames and was and we sang this song and it was just like a song that we had from our childhood and wow.
13:50
So that's like it had already already had big meaning and then.
But now that's what it brings me back to, yeah.
13:57Speaker 1
The the song definitely reminds me of Adam.
Yeah, for sure.
And Adam was part of Burning Flames, right?
14:04Speaker 3
Yeah.
14:05Speaker 2
That is cool.
So that's probably like a big memory that the both the two of you share.
Like that must have been a big, like kind of, I don't know, especially those younger years of like some of those first times when you get really high, it's like it really bonds you.
14:20Speaker 3
Yeah, I mean, I don't know if Chris remembers that at all.
He tends to not remember a lot of things, which is weird.
It it.
14:26Speaker 1
It is weird because it's super impressive that he can pick up the guitar after like so long.
He's like, I haven't played this song in 10 years and he plays it perfectly.
Like you jerk.
I can't.
If I didn't play it like 2 days ago I forget.
14:38Speaker 3
But like, things that people didn't that happened, he doesn't remember a bunch of but but yeah, it was.
That's what makes me think of.
That's what I thought of.
14:48Childhood Band Memories: 'We Are the World'
Nice.
Yeah.
The that song totally takes me back to being in Adam's room.
That was the attic room in the Golden House and yeah, like I Adam to me just like was always like this like Stoner guy, you know, and that just like sort of like cemented that like so like, I mean, like I could just like the way he walks even just like.
15:12Speaker 3
What else?
15:16Speaker 2
Did you guys play in the band in your first band?
15:19Speaker 3
Which is another song that evokes memories for me that I thought of.
15:24Speaker 1
Is my baby does the hanky panky?
15:27Speaker 3
Yeah, no, not that one, but yes.
15:31Speaker 4
Well, now it's going to.
15:34Speaker 3
But we did sing that one.
But the we are the world.
Oh.
15:40Speaker 1
Yeah.
15:41Speaker 3
We are the children.
We are the ones who make a brighter day.
So let's start giving very obvious.
15:49Speaker 4
Didn't they just make a documentary recently about the making of that?
15:54Speaker 3
I don't know if they did or not, but go ahead.
Not too long ago, I introduced Cora, my daughter, to that song.
And so now regularly, like while we're cleaning, we always listen to music while we're cleaning and stuff, She's like, OK, this is for you, Dad.
16:10
And she puts that song on.
I'm like, yeah, it's a.
16:13Speaker 1
Little bit for her too.
16:15Speaker 3
Yeah, I'm sure she likes it.
17:52Speaker 1
Really takes you back, yeah.
17:53Speaker 3
Yeah, I mean partially because in the year before us, the 6th grade musical sang What's that song?
The If you had a.
18:02Speaker 1
If I could give the world a Coke.
18:05Speaker 3
No.
18:05Speaker 1
Because it's like another like harmony song and.
18:08Speaker 3
It's a Stevie Wonder song to reach out to call you.
I just called.
Yeah, yeah, that one to say.
Yeah, I love you because our PE or the theater teacher.
18:20Speaker 4
Miss Davis.
18:21Speaker 3
No, Miss Johnson.
18:22Speaker 4
Miss Johnson.
18:23Speaker 3
Yeah, had cancer and so she had to leave.
And so it was like super emotional thing.
And the music teacher at our school and the theatre teacher were like really close friends and stuff.
And so the music teacher did this whole musical and included this song.
18:39
I just called to say I love you, you know, like Tort, I guess a tribute to her.
And it was super special.
18:47Podcast Interruption and Chris's Next Musical Memory
Awesome.
18:52Speaker 1
Please pardon this interruption.
We just wanted to encourage you to follow us on whatever podcasting platform you use.
It helps others discover our show.
You can look forward to a new episode on the 1st of the month every month.
If you want to hear an uncut interview two weeks early, join our Patreon.
19:10
Now back to your regular scheduled programming.
All right, so it sounded like you had another song, Chris, that because Casey went and said the first thing that came to his mind, which was Crimson and Clover, and you have another song perhaps.
19:34Speaker 4
Yeah, so my dad that we spoke about earlier, I grew up with.
19:40Speaker 3
You grew up with your dad.
19:42Speaker 4
I know with with music.
19:43Speaker 3
With music.
19:46Speaker 4
Just all, all the time.
I mean, he had one of those record players in the basement, you know, that like the record play was on top.
And then there were speakers and it was a stereo as well.
And so I grew up, you know, with him listening to Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan and The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
20:02
And he was very eclectic about what he listened to.
Sheryl Crow listened to that as well.
And my mom, you know, is upstairs just jamming out to her Barry Manilow.
But.
My middle name is Michelle and he named me that after The Beatles song Michelle.
20:25
And then about a month after my daughter was born in 2011, he passed away.
And so every time I'm listening to even Spotify or going out anywhere, I will hear that song.
20:42
And it is not one of their top songs, no.
20:44Speaker 2
It's not at all.
It's like.
20:46Speaker 4
Way and I feel like it's my dad just being like yeah hey so I go hi dad every time I hear it yeah it's.
20:54Speaker 2
Beautiful.
Yeah.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
20:57Speaker 4
Oh, it's OK.
20:59Speaker 2
It We've brought up music with lost loved ones so many times on this podcast already.
It's unfortunate that that's something that ties a lot of us together, but it is beautiful that music helps you find little connections to them still.
21:18
So that's really, really cool.
Yeah.
I had every Beatles CD when I was a kid.
I was I.
21:25Speaker 4
Love them, they're one of my top five.
21:27Speaker 1
So can we play that song real quick?
I don't.
21:29Speaker 2
Even I'm not doing it, I can't even like remember that song.
22:20Discovering a Hidden Bond Through Father's Poetry
So as you're listening, is there a particular memory or memories that that come up or is it just a general like think of your dad?
22:31Speaker 4
Yeah, he, I was definitely closer to my mom.
He liked to ski and he liked to go White River rafting and go hunting in Nebraska for pheasant.
22:46
And I was not into any of that.
And so I definitely connected more with my mom.
And then after he passed, we were going through all of his stuff and I found this folder in his garage and it had all his, all these papers from when he was in high school and College in the 60s.
23:14
And they were poetry and stories.
And one of them was a walk he did while either on mushrooms or acid.
I don't know which one, but it's so beautiful.
And then there was lyrics to his favorite songs, and there was drawings.
23:33
And I love to write.
I've written, I've written a script before and I'm in the middle of writing a novel.
And that's not something he ever shared with me before.
And it kind of upset me at first that he knew that that could be a bond that we had because his writing was so good and he didn't share that with me.
23:55
So I was really upset with him for a while over that, but as I learned that it's OK, you know, like I.
24:03Speaker 1
Not a lot you can do about.
24:05Speaker 4
It Yeah, I should just, you know, love what we had and appreciate what he gave me after.
When I hear that song, I'm not sad or mad.
I'm just, I appreciate that he, I feel like he's reaching out.
24:19Speaker 1
Yeah.
24:20Speaker 2
He absolutely is.
I mean, it's so beautiful that you can actually hear him saying, like, my Michelle, I love you.
That's so sweet.
Yeah, and maybe I can see with the writing, maybe he didn't feel as much of A need to continue writing himself, seeing you like, become a writer, like maybe there.
24:38Speaker 4
Was he didn't even remember?
Yeah, because he was probably on a lot of like, drugs back then and had no clue he still had all that stuff.
24:47Speaker 1
Right.
Yeah, just like, yeah, kind of forgot about that phase of his life.
Like that is interesting that it it sort of takes you back to a memory that you never even shared with your dad.
24:59Speaker 2
Yeah.
25:00Speaker 1
In a way it was like something like that.
25:03Speaker 4
Actually, I took all his writing and I turned it into a book and I passed it out at his funeral to family members and stuff so they could have his writing and his drawing his like, favorite songs and stuff.
25:14Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, it's something that's come up a couple Times Now is the idea of like how ghosts live on.
So like a person's writing is like one of the ghosts that that continues to live.
Definitely.
And and you finding it and then not only like appreciating it, but then making copies of it and spreading it will ensure that you know his, His earthly presence continues to live on.
25:39Happiest Moment at a Third Eye Blind Concert
Definitely your turn.
25:41Speaker 3
Are you going to ask me the questions again?
25:43Speaker 2
Yeah.
25:46Speaker 1
Where where should we go from here?
Chris, right?
Yeah, Chris.
Does he have another song that he?
25:50Speaker 3
Would like to share.
25:51Speaker 4
OK, yeah, he he went to a concert with Chris.
25:55Speaker 3
Yeah, went to a concert with Chris was a Third Eye Blind concert and this.
And I think about this moment or this experience when I hear this song.
So we're at a Third Eye Blind concert and we were like right up at the stage and we wanted to hear God of wine.
So we were there just screaming like play God of wine, play God of wine.
26:14
And then they and then they played it and, and I remember crispy like this is like the happiest I've ever been.
And and then it was like such a good concert, so good.
And they flicked pick like one of their picks at me and I caught it.
26:32
And so I have a third eye line pick from that time also and.
26:36Speaker 1
So for clarification, this is Chris, your brother.
26:39Speaker 3
Chris, my brother.
26:40Speaker 1
Chris, your girlfriend?
Yes.
26:41Speaker 3
Yes, Chris Darling and Chris.
28:51Speaker 2
So we brought this up in our interview with Chris and he said.
28:56Speaker 1
Casey said that that you had said like, this is the happiest I've ever been.
I trust him.
I don't remember being that ecstatic, but yeah, I love the concert.
Was a good concert.
So Casey didn't mention that you have a bad memory?
29:13
Yeah, I don't have a very good memory.
So do you think that they played it because you were yelling it?
29:19Speaker 3
Well, I think that they were going to play it anyway, OK, But then, yeah, when we played it, when we yelled it and then they played it, we're like, they did it because of us.
29:29Speaker 2
Dude, and I mean, yeah, I would ride that high for weeks to be honest.
29:34Speaker 3
And then I got the pick, and that was cool, yeah.
29:37Speaker 2
That's awesome.
Awesome.
29:38Speaker 1
You're like a groupie.
29:39Speaker 3
The third eye playing.
29:40Speaker 2
No, I'm excited.
I actually had to stick them on a playlist that I have.
That's good.
That's cool.
29:45Speaker 1
There was a look at.
29:46Speaker 4
You.
29:47Speaker 1
Yeah.
29:48Speaker 2
Good and honestly like picturing you like losing it at the concert.
Like so psyched played the song that you were coming there ready to hear.
I'm so into live music.
Live music is the one thing that I justify spending money and, or and or traveling to to go do because it's the only place that I experienced like true bliss and just connection with other people and like.
30:16Speaker 3
Yeah, it was, it was, Yeah, it was getting just to maybe continue on with this thing with because the only other song that like really came to my mind when I thought of a specific song, that song that, yeah, takes me back to a specific memory.
30:30Creating a Community with 'Free Fallin'' on the Beach
And that was when Chris and I, again, brother Chris, we went down.
We were going to go down to Padre Island for spring break and so we drove down there, but then on the way down, Jeff's grandma and uncle were at North Padre.
30:45Speaker 4
Jeff, your friend.
30:46Speaker 3
Jeff, my friend and his grandma and uncle, I'm super close with Jeff, but we're on North Padre Island.
And so we said, so we stopped there on the way and we stayed with them for a couple nights and then we continued to South Padre.
31:02
That's like the spring break place.
And then we were there and we're like, Oh, we didn't have that much fun fun.
And then we stayed another night.
We're like, yes, it's like just we weren't feeling it.
And we're like, let's, if we don't have a good time tonight, we're like, let's go back to to North Padre Island.
Let's build a fire because we're like, we're not a community here.
31:20
And so we were camping.
We're like, let's build a fire and then people will come.
And so we built a fire and people came and it was like a big giant beach party then.
And it was so cool, cool.
And then we had our guitars and but then we gave the guitar some of this, I don't know, some other other person there asked for the guitar and he started playing free falling.
31:42Speaker 2
And.
31:43Speaker 3
So, but then it was just such a powerful memory because everybody just like would belt up free.
31:49Speaker 2
Oh yeah, who doesn't love free falling?
31:53Speaker 3
All these people and it was like just so organic and everybody was just like so loose and having such a good time there.
And Chris and I were like, we made this because we built the fire that made everybody come to happen.
And we had the guitar that made it so that we could like make this.
32:09
And then we're like, all right, we're staying.
And then we made good friends and then we had such a good time.
32:15Speaker 2
That is so cool.
32:17Speaker 1
Yeah, it is.
And and for the record, Jeff is like an honorary brother.
I mean, he's another.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
32:23Speaker 4
His name does not start with AK.
32:27Speaker 1
That's why his only honorary.
32:28Speaker 2
One letter before then, yeah, that's true.
Close enough, but.
32:35Darcy, Brandon, and Awkward First Kiss Stories
He's watching my dog right now, actually, yeah.
32:38Speaker 2
Nice.
Yeah, you guys seem to really stay tight with.
32:42Speaker 1
Yeah, we'll, we'll, we'll have, we'll have Jeff on at some.
32:45Speaker 2
Point.
Cool.
Yeah, that's good.
32:47Speaker 4
They all still live in the same neighborhood and.
32:50Speaker 1
Wow.
Yeah.
In fact, yeah, Jeff lives in, he bought his parents house from them.
And so he lives in in the house that he grew up in, which is, yeah, right down the street from the house that we grew up in.
33:01Speaker 4
Wow that your dad is still.
33:02Speaker 1
In Yeah, where my yeah, my dad and my sister still live there.
33:06Speaker 2
Wow.
Oh, so when you go home, you're going home?
Yeah.
Wow.
That's cool.
Yeah, I realize that.
That's really cool.
33:15Speaker 4
Right across from my neighborhood where you kissed my.
33:21Speaker 1
Neighbor and what's her name?
33:22Speaker 3
Darcy.
Darcy She.
33:24Speaker 4
Stole all the kisses.
33:27Speaker 1
So it's like sort of a long history with Darcy then.
Wow.
So, so would she like just like look out the window and be like, oh, here comes another one?
33:36Speaker 4
No, he called her.
33:38Speaker 3
No other way around.
Well, but anyway, well, actually, I don't know who called who, but we were, I was spending the night at my friend's house and we were on the, I was on the phone with Darcy and she said, if you come here, I'll kiss you.
I'll give you a kiss.
And oh so Willie and I like rode our rode our little bikes for like 2 miles or maybe more than that.
33:58Speaker 1
Oh man, the things you do for a pack.
34:00Speaker 2
Probably would have biked.
34:01Speaker 1
10 miles.
Tell you what?
Yeah, I know.
Like 2 miles.
That's not bad at all.
34:04Speaker 3
However, yeah, it was farther than that, but it could have been.
We we went out and yeah, she met me on the front porch and I went up and I kissed her on the front porch.
Well, Willie stood there and watched us.
And I was like, yeah, yeah.
34:20
And she said she said I was a good kisser.
34:23Speaker 4
She said that to every single.
34:26Speaker 3
Boy, she kept Oh, were you there all the time?
34:29Speaker 1
She was like.
34:30Speaker 4
Well, she was one of my best friends at the time.
It's super annoying.
She seriously, she stole all the kisses.
Wow.
Wow.
34:40Speaker 1
It is funny, like having like the like you talked, Willie was just like watching you.
And it just it just takes me that takes me back to hanging out with Brandon, who was one of my best friends for a long time.
And he we would play truth or dare with Megan, with Megan.
34:59Speaker 3
And his sister.
35:00Speaker 1
Not his sister.
OK.
And he would pull me aside every single time, dare me to kiss her, dare me to kiss her.
And of course I would.
And then and then they would like make out in front of me.
And I was like, I don't know what to do with myself.
35:16Speaker 3
Just like so awkward.
35:18Speaker 1
Yeah.
And then that just kind of became a theme.
Brandon made out with girls in front of me, like pretty regularly.
35:24Speaker 4
There's always that friend.
Yeah, there's always that, friend.
35:27Speaker 1
Yeah, don't.
35:28Speaker 2
Be the that friend, but.
35:31Speaker 1
And well.
And.
35:32Speaker 4
If you have the opportunity, you're gonna take it as.
35:35Speaker 1
AI know well yeah totally I know that's The thing is that like yeah don't be that friend unless I could have been and.
35:41Speaker 4
I totally would have got it like.
35:43Speaker 3
No, that's fair.
35:44Speaker 2
And then you're like, honestly just trying to be wing man.
So you're just like, whatever.
35:47Speaker 1
Right.
Yeah, I mean, I was.
35:48Speaker 2
Here, awkwardly, yeah, I was.
35:50Speaker 1
Happy for you, Brandon.
I was definitely, I was definitely wing man I.
35:53Speaker 4
Was definitely wing man for Darcy.
Yeah, super annoying.
Wow.
35:57Speaker 2
So you guys contributed to their power though?
36:01Speaker 1
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, you know, you, you do what you have to do when you're when you're the friend, you know, like, especially like the best friend.
Yeah, you got to, you got to wing man.
Even if you're annoyed.
Yep.
Even if you're like, OK, well, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself right now, but did.
36:17Speaker 2
You ever just did you like or like you just?
36:21Speaker 1
I mean, I, I don't really remember now, I think that I'd literally just like watched them so.
36:25Speaker 2
Serious.
36:27Speaker 1
I was like, I was like, I was thinking honestly, like, I mean, we were fairly young and I remember thinking like, that's a lot of tongue.
Like I, I vividly remember like seeing like the inside of Megan's cheek or like her cheek, like sticking, like getting pushed out by his tongue.
36:47Speaker 2
Oh my.
36:48Speaker 1
God and and remember it being like, OK, like I, I, I was kind of like, I was trying to like that's.
36:53Speaker 4
Not.
36:53Speaker 1
OK, I was like trying to like take pointers and it turns out it was bad pointers today.
Well.
36:58Speaker 2
At least your instinct was like that.
Seems like too much, yes?
37:02Speaker 4
My first kiss was supposed to be my boyfriend John and there was a park behind my house because we lived in a bunch of cul de sacs and they made this park behind all the cul de sacs.
And my friends came over and they're like John's going to meet you at the park and give you a kiss.
37:17
And I was like so him and his buddies show up on their bike to the park.
So me and my girlfriends come outside and he puts his arm around me and he walks me behind this Bush and he leans in and he says don't ever wear that coat again, it's ugly.
37:34
And then he leaves it, goes back to his friends and says that he kissed me.
37:39Speaker 2
Wow, what?
37:40Speaker 4
And then guess who ended up being his?
37:42Speaker 1
Darcy, yes, I love you.
37:48Different Paths Lead to Facebook Reconnection
Wow, where was Darcy when I was that's.
37:50Speaker 4
What I want I was across the street.
37:53Speaker 2
Dude, wow.
37:54Speaker 3
Yeah, in high school I was sad.
In high school, I was all about sports and I was super athletic and I didn't drink at all and I didn't do any drugs or smoke cigarettes and I didn't even drink pop.
I was like super healthy and and I was sad that both that you smoke cigarettes, but then also that you listened to darker music than I would than I did.
38:16
So she was into like harder, darker music.
38:19Speaker 1
And Marilyn Manson.
38:21Speaker 4
No.
38:23Speaker 3
Like Metallica.
38:25Speaker 4
Yeah.
38:29Speaker 1
I can't bring her home to mom, she looks.
38:33Speaker 4
At the band, One of the bands I hung out with was called Suburbia's Finest and it was a punk ska band.
And the friends and the members we all listened to, I mean, one of our top bands was Goldfinger we listened to, Goldfinger we listened to.
38:52
But then you know, the neighbors that we hung out with with them.
We listened to Tool and Metallica as as well.
38:59Speaker 3
And maybe I was wrong, but like, in my mind, it was green corn.
Corn.
Like, yeah, yeah, corn.
39:07Speaker 2
That's cool.
39:08Speaker 3
Yeah.
And so I was, I was like, so that was.
39:09Speaker 1
Like enough of a turn off for.
39:11Speaker 3
You well the smoking too was like that's you're.
39:14Speaker 4
A different mutual friend, Kristen, I'm still friends with.
She was one of my closest friends and they ended up going to homecoming together one year as friends.
Because he didn't.
He wanted to ask me but I was smoking so he went with her instead.
39:31
I didn't know any of this.
No one told me was not a thing.
39:37Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, you're like, I would quit.
39:40Speaker 2
But OK, the thing that I love about hearing this is just that I'm a firm believer in everything unfolding exactly how it's supposed to and whatever however that happens.
So I just love, I don't know, for me, I'm thinking that you guys were so meant to like somehow stay.
40:00
Just adjacent to each.
40:01Speaker 1
Other.
40:02Speaker 2
And and and go through what all the experiences and have your kids right and then find each other later.
It is.
40:10Speaker 4
A cool day, that.
40:11Speaker 1
That Rascal Flatts line.
40:13Speaker 2
Guy though God.
40:15Speaker 1
God bless the broken Rd. that let me let me straight to you, I shared.
40:18Speaker 3
That so with you, Yeah, But yeah, totally.
And I think that while it would have been awesome to have been together for the last 20 years, but I don't think that we would have been able to connect 20 years ago.
Yeah, we were in two very different places.
40:35
And, and so if we had attempted at that time, we'd have been like, oh, we tried and it didn't work right.
And then we'd just be apart.
40:43Peace, Love, Unity, Respect: The 90s Rave Scene
Well, in in 1998 I started going to raves when raves were raves like you had to.
40:51Speaker 2
I know, get a flyer.
40:52Speaker 4
And call a number and get a checkpoint.
Go to the checkpoint and get, you know, directions to another checkpoint where you can buy your ticket and then and you'll get directions to the party kind of thing.
And we didn't have cell phones or anything back then.
So it was all super, you know, this warehouse, we went to one at a racetrack, you know, and.
41:12Speaker 3
I'm like, let's go drink water, you know?
41:16Speaker 4
I'm dancing all night and driving home as the sun's coming up.
And yeah, you know, and we were definitely really leading to to.
I was not school spirit.
Yeah, I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible and go live.
41:32Speaker 3
In like the.
41:32Speaker 2
School of Life.
41:34Speaker 3
The cross country team and yeah, just totally different things.
And then we were in that different lives for a good chunk of time, Yeah.
And then we connected on social media.
41:46Speaker 4
Yeah, my mom made me get Facebook when I had my daughter because my whole family lives in Wisconsin and she's like, you know, they want to see updates on.
41:55Speaker 2
Totally baby pictures.
41:57Speaker 4
And that's when I reconnected with everyone from my past because I moved.
I moved to Colorado Springs.
I started a whole new life.
Wow, so.
42:08Speaker 3
That was in 2012 when we first connected on Facebook and then, and then we just were in touch through, then through on Facebook and then often.
And then, I don't know, like I reached out to five years ago to ask about piercings.
42:27
Yeah, stuff for because Cora, my daughter wanted her ears pierced.
And so and I knew she did piercings.
So it's like she always meant something to me.
And like, you know, I reached out to her then and, you know, when I, when we did the landscaping on her mom's yard, you know, I just told him out.
42:44
I was like, she's so awesome, but she's married.
42:48Speaker 4
It wasn't going well.
I was not married.
It was just a long term.
42:52Speaker 3
Yeah, and that's how much I knew about the relationship.
42:54Speaker 4
Yeah, and it ended not a while before we connected, but I was just in a place where I wasn't ready for anything.
But he was on my mind and my mom brought him up.
And then I went and had breakfast with Kristen, our friend from high school, and she brought him up.
43:14
And I was like, all these people keep bringing him up.
Like I need to reach out.
I need to see how he's doing.
Like he's on my mind.
And so I just messaged him.
I was like, hey, how are you?
I've been thinking about you.
You're on my mind.
And we talked every day from that day.
43:30
And then we met up for dinner and it was just the best hug I've ever gotten.
If I inspire life.
And I was like, well, I'm so dumb, like.
43:44Speaker 3
That's how I got everything.
You're so dumb.
She agreed with me.
So we're on the same page.
43:52Speaker 1
And then Casey was like, tell me that you're done with the raves, please.
I.
43:57Speaker 2
Don't know.
Can we come back to the raves?
Sure, because when you said that, I just got so excited, but also so sad.
Because here's the thing.
44:05Speaker 4
They're not the same.
44:05Speaker 2
They're well and and so I haven't really ever experienced rave scene in the 90s and I don't know.
Yeah, please, like tell me more.
44:13Speaker 4
Case love, unity, respect.
That's all it was like.
44:17Speaker 1
And that was too dark for Casey.
44:20Speaker 3
It was the drugs that I had a hard time with, yeah.
44:22Speaker 2
So many people have an impression that like bad things are happening in those.
44:27Speaker 4
Environments now, probably.
Yeah. 100% yeah.
Because they've lost what it was.
In a way it was.
I mean, it was a community and you all took care of each other, whether you knew each other or not.
Yeah.
I mean, there'd be nights I'd go to this club in Denver called Tracks, and there was a community bathroom upstairs.
44:49
Anybody could go in, no matter who you were.
And I found a girl on the sink just crying once.
She was on drugs and she lost her friends and she didn't know where she was.
And so I just crawled up on there with her and I gave her a hug and she held on to me.
45:05
And every person that walked in, I was like, do you know this girl?
Do you know this girl?
But I stayed with her all night until we found her friends and she was safe.
Because like, that's what you do.
And that was the culture, yes.
And you always made sure everyone was OK and everyone was safe, no matter what drugs they were on, no matter how sober they were.
45:27
And I loved that about it.
Yeah.
And the music.
The music was amazing.
45:32Speaker 2
Of course, of course.
And the music is a huge part of it because of the dancing.
And that's one thing that I think is so wrong about concerts, raves, all of it these days is there's this, like, new fear of being watched and being videotaped.
45:51
And everyone's holding their phones to get videos of the concerts and, like, catching people.
Yeah.
And like Tyler, the Creator's last album, I don't know if you guys listen to him at all, but he dropped his last album and he said this album is it's for dancing.
46:06
I made this album, I released it and I played it with all of my friends and I didn't let a single person have a phone in that room.
And we played it on repeat twice.
And we danced our asses off and we sweat, we sweat it so hard.
We were in the fucking moment.
Like we need to be doing that more dancing for the sake of dancing.
46:26
Like when you're like exhausted from like just you like moving your body like that, there's just like no other feeling.
And I feel like that's a huge part of what's been lost.
Yeah.
You know.
46:38Speaker 1
But I just want to say just real quick that that's another funny thing because Casey loves to dance, too.
46:45Speaker 4
Yeah.
46:49Speaker 1
Casey's Casey's type of dancing is a different kind of dancing.
46:53Speaker 3
I know I do.
I love to dance so much and I want Padre Island.
46:56Speaker 4
One thing I did want to say was I may have been wrapped up in a life like that of PLUR my way, but Casey was in a life of PLUR a different way.
47:13Speaker 1
Yeah, he wasn't like comforting girls crying on a scene.
47:15Speaker 4
No, but he was definitely living a life of peace, love, unity and respect.
47:21Speaker 1
Yeah, I mean, that's like how we were raised.
47:23Speaker 4
Exactly.
So it's like I may have been doing it differently, but we were both doing the same thing.
47:30Speaker 3
I'm glad we're together now.
47:32Navigating Long-Distance Love with a 'Slow Burn'
The one thing about our relationship is we live an hour apart.
Oh, wow.
And we both have kids.
Yeah, I have a girl.
He has a girl and she is tied to, she's a freshman, so she is tied to her high school.
47:49Speaker 2
Totally.
47:49Speaker 4
And.
47:50Speaker 3
And at the moment we both have our kids full time.
47:53Speaker 4
Yes.
So since the beginning we have talked about how we are going to make this work with the distance and not being able to see each other all the time.
So saying our mantra has been slow burn because we can't see each other all the time, as we were saying, because our mantra is slow burn, our our song is.
48:25Speaker 3
Right.
Because we've been working at it for a long time and so it's been a long time coming and all this thing.
48:32Speaker 4
And it's going to be a long time.
48:34Speaker 3
Right.
And so, and we've been sharing music from the beginning of this whole thing.
And so my birthday is in on Monday.
And so she made this for me.
It's a magnet with the song Slow Burn.
48:53
Yeah, right.
Isn't that awesome?
So cool.
48:56Speaker 4
Adds a picture of us and plays our song always.
49:21Speaker 3
Anyway.
49:22Speaker 2
That is so cute, I love that.
49:24Speaker 3
Right.
Yeah, I think it's awesome.
49:26Speaker 2
I wanted to just bring up because you were talking about living with space between you, and it just made me think of some Ani DiFranco lyrics, she says.
I know there's strength in the differences between US and I know there's comfort where we overlap.
And I don't know, I just love that.
49:43
And I.
49:43Speaker 4
That's really sweet.
49:45Speaker 2
And I love, I don't know, I think that sometimes we think of spaces leading to less, but I have experienced space leading to a lot more.
And so I just think that I don't know.
49:58Speaker 4
Yeah, we're two very independent people, so we're OK, yeah, when we're apart.
But as this grows, we're definitely wanting that time.
Yeah.
Together.
And some days I'm just.
50:12Speaker 3
Like, yeah, I know.
50:13Speaker 2
Yeah, you'll need your time.
50:15Speaker 1
Well, you guys were just that's.
50:17Speaker 2
Right, right, right, right.
Like this whole the whole thing.
50:20Speaker 3
Has that's where we we're, we're confident that we'll just be where we are until we're in the next phase.
And yeah, and then it's just where we are.
And it's awesome, though.
I mean be better to be together.
50:33Speaker 1
There was a song line that I wrote when I had a long distance relationship, which was the 13 hours between us now won't mean a thing when we're counting the years.
50:43Speaker 3
Yeah, that's awesome, right.
That's kind of the perspective is like.
50:47Speaker 4
And Chris as well, your brother, he, him and his wife now they spent what, 2 years apart?
50:53Speaker 1
Quite a while apart, yeah.
And she was in Canada, yeah.
50:56Speaker 3
Wow.
50:57Speaker 4
So yeah, all good things are worth it, yeah.
51:01Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.
And it could be a lot worse.
It could be Canada.
51:06Speaker 4
Yeah, that's what I told him.
I was like, it's only an hour.
51:09Speaker 3
Yeah, you can meet.
51:10Speaker 2
In the middle, even on a busy day.
51:13Speaker 3
Yeah, and sometimes we do just meet and go hike for an hour and halfway.
Mm Hmm.
Yep.
And then see you tomorrow.
No.
Well, see you next week.
Yeah, we've been able to see each other once or twice a week.
Yeah, pretty darn consistently.
51:29
Over the summer was a little bit more.
51:31Speaker 4
Yeah.
51:32Speaker 1
And also, just to clarify, the song is Slow Burned by Casey Musgraves.
Yeah, I was actually kind of excited to learn that you were a Casey Musgraves fan because, yeah, was such a Casey Musgraves fan in Casey.
51:44Speaker 4
Yeah, I've never really been into country a lot, but I mean, like punk rock has its roots in country.
A lot of genres do, and she is not like a typical country singer at all.
52:01
I enjoy a lot of her songs and that one was just perfect for us.
Yeah.
52:07Speaker 3
Kellen introduced me really to Kacey Musgraves and I was like, oh, this is good, this is good.
And then there was a bunch of good ones.
52:15Speaker 4
Yeah, my friend Lily at work, she says.
Every time that song plays, she thinks of me and Kacey.
52:20Speaker 1
Yeah.
Anyway, so that that's our podcast.
52:24Thank You & The Burning Flames Revisited
Love it.
52:24Speaker 2
Yeah.
Thank you so much for joining us.
52:26Speaker 3
We had, I mean, I had a great time.
Yeah.
But yeah, it was so awesome.
Cool.
Thanks for thank you.
Yeah, thanks for making.
52:33Speaker 1
Yeah.
52:33Speaker 3
Yeah, awesome.
I'm really excited to see what you guys produce.
52:37Speaker 1
Nice.
52:37Speaker 2
Thank you.
Thank you so much for joining us.
52:44Speaker 4
Hey guys, you do.
Do We are the world?
Come on, Do we are the world?
Go ahead.
53:08Speaker 3
it's true, to make a better day.
53:13Speaker 1
The band that Casey mentioned, The Burning Flames, was a band that we were in when I was literally like 5 years old or something like that.
And it was comprised of my brothers and my cousins.
And we sang a bunch of songs.
And we, we also have a Christmas albums, just so you know.
53:31
Yeah, we sang some Christmas songs too.
Yeah.
So that was the the band UN quote that Casey had mentioned singing We Are the World.
And then he also mentioned another another song.
What was the other song?
Oh yeah, Crimson and Clover.
53:58
As you can see, our family didn't take us very seriously.
54:08Speaker 3
Jeremy, where's that other can that's great Jump.
54:14Speaker 1
So, yeah, so I had mentioned that this song reminds me of Adam, and so Adam is the one who's singing lead singer there.
I.
54:31Speaker 4
Forget it.
54:36Speaker 1
Thanks for tuning in to that Takes Me back broadcasting from 97-O W studio in beautiful Grand Junction, Co.
54:45Speaker 2
Today's episode was recorded, produced and edited by your hosts, Kellen David and Maya Sage.
Did you know that there's a lot of our conversation that doesn't make the final episode?
If you want to hear full uncut interviews, you can join our community on Patreon where you could chat with fans of the show, guests of the show, as well as the hosts of the show.
55:07
We would love to know where you're tuning in from Our website isthattakesmeback.org where you can find all of our episodes as well as a playlist of the songs we've had on the show.
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