RJ.  He’s amazing.  He’s funny, deep, passionate, talented, and creative.

We’re taking D2D on the road and bringing you several amazing guests.  These folks are here because they are interesting, enthusiastic, bright, and sonogenic.  (Not sure if that’s a word…but if a person who always looks good in a picture is “photogenic,” then a person who always sounds good on a podcast is, “sonogenic.”)

I’ll share with you here the structure of these upcoming episodes:

1. Introductions and making the connection between guest and Greg.  (This will be most important when a guest is on for the first time. [duh])
2. What’s the booze that we’re drinking? (We always talk about what we’re drinking, and also other aspects of the booze. [e.g. What’s the abv and ibu of the beer?  What’s the brand of whiskey?  Proof?  What’s the grape? Etc.])
3. What drives you to drink, in general and/or tonight? (The entire D2D endeavor is this: There are things that drive us to drink. Rather than just allowing these things to fester in us or cause us to become pessimistic or cranky, it’s my preference to have a few drinks, talk it out, laugh, and find the glimmers of light.  Ultimately, this endeavor is a way to let go of defeatism and apathy and bring humor, optimism, community, and constructive energy to the very things that drive us to drink.)
4. Expertise Area. (With any guest, I like to ask questions related to what I perceive to be one or several of their expertise areas. We all have many.  It isn’t necessarily your job, but perhaps a hobby or even just some piece of esoterica that I think will be interesting and fun to record.)
5. Wildcard. (What would you do for a Klondike bar?)
6. Wildcard follow-up. (This could go in any direction.  Theoretically, we’ll be quite inebriated at this point, so that should make it maximally wild.)
7. Farewells

So, there you go.

In terms of R.J., we move through #1, #2, and #3 in this first of three episodes.

Regarding beer, I move us through an array of big beers (i.e. all over 7% abv), sweet&malty to bitter&hoppy, starting with my favorite belgian style quad (Ommegang Three Philosophers), then an Imperial Stout (Samuel Smiths), an Imperial Pilsner (Lagunitas), an American Strong Ale (Arrogant Bastard), and finally an imperial IPA (Hop Stoopid).

And music.  Lots of it over the next three weeks.  Today, you get a healthy dose of Paul Simon and Steve Gadd.  At the beginning, the them song from Louis C.K.’s brilliant piece of cinematic/theater art, “Horace and Pete.”  In the middle, “Late in the Evening” from Paul Simon’s Concert in the Park. (Listen for Gadd’s Mozambique beat over a conga rhythm.)  And to end, the baddest ass drum lick in the history of popular music, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”

Have fun.  We sure did.

-G