Spending Time With Everyday People
Ted Danson, Judd Apatow, Phil Anselmo, Jeff Daniels, me, and you
Spending Time With Everyday People
Sly Stone said it best, “I am no better and neither are you. We're all the same, whatever we do” in his song “Everyday People.” While the theme of that song resonates hard today, that’s not quite where I’m going with you this morning. Today I’m flashing back to some close encounters with famous folks who turn out to be everyday people.
The other day on our morning walk, I found myself in between books and turned to Ted Danson’s podcast “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”. First off, you might be thinking, “Ted Danson is still alive???” Yes, Ted is alive and appears to be doing well. His podcast is pretty good. He talks with folks he knows who are like Ted, pretty well-known folks. Occasionally, Woody Harrelson joins him, but primarily the podcast is Ted and his guest.
Anyway, on my walk, I was listening to Ted talking with Judd Apatow. Judd was sharing stories from his upcoming book called Comedy Nerd (which I think I will check out). One of these stories centered on his high school days, when he would cold-call well-known comedians to interview them. As I’m listening, it dawns on me that these are just a couple of everyday people chatting about the times when they talked with people they either admired or looked up to (or both).
As I’m walking, I started thinking back to interviews I’ve done. A couple in particular stand out as revelatory moments. The first was a talk with Phil Anselmo.
This was back in 2017. Phil was in town to play a show at the Crofoot in Pontiac with Superjoint Ritual. To say I was a bit nervous is an understatement. You see, I’m a huge Pantera fan. I stumbled upon the band when they were on tour for their Cowboys From Hell album. They opened at the Ritz in Roseville for the band that I came to see, Wrathchild America. When Pantera hit the stage, the place exploded. I’d never seen a mosh pit like this. It was a continuous frenzy of moshing and stage diving. I was hooked and would continue to see the band every time they were in town until they broke up in 2001. Talking to Phil was a big deal.
Phil’s manager (and now wife), Kate, met me at the venue and then showed me into the bus. I was thinking “Holy Shit!, I’m on Phil Anselmo’s bus!!!” while trying to be chill. Once we got started, I settled down, and it hit me. This dude is just like me. Ok, sure, I’ve not sold millions of records or played in front of thousands of people. However, at our cores, we are a couple of guys who deeply love music. Phil was sharing his stories, and I was happy to take it all in. We easily could have been sitting in a pub talking about the latest in our creative lives.
The other encounter that sent home the notion that we are all everyday people was talking to Jeff Daniels. In addition to being a fantastic actor in such movies as Terms of Endearment, The Martian, Looper, and the HBO series Godless (all fantastic), Jeff is a musician.
At the time, there was a brewery in Chelsea, Michigan called the Chelsea Alehouse. One of the owners, Aubrey Martinson, had worked at the Purple Rose Theatre, which was created by Jeff in Chelsea. This association led to Jeff occasionally performing his music at the Alehouse as a solo act or with his son Ben and his band. When interviewing the owners of the Chelsea Alehouse, we talked about how they feature local music. One of those local musicians who had graced the Alehouse stage is Jeff Daniels. As we were talking, Aubrey mentioned she could help arrange an interview with Jeff if we were interested. My jaw hit the floor and I said, “Yes, that would be awesome!”.
For those who don’t know, Jeff Daniels may be a Hollywood star, but he calls Chelsea home. He and his wife have a nice house off a lake just west of town. For the interview, I was invited out to Jeff’s studio, which is basically a retrofitted barn next to his house. I drove up thinking, “Oh shit, I’m going to Jeff Daniels’ house!”
Jeff met me at the door with one of his dogs, and we headed up to the loft area of the barn. The lower floor is a small recording studio, and the loft contains a couple of couches and a ton of guitars. We sat and talked about music. As we were wrapping up, I was looking at his collection of guitars, which includes some vintage Gibson L-1 arch tops and early Martins. While gazing at an old Gibson L-1, Jeff mentioned that the guitar was built in 1902. He then takes it off the wall hanger and hands it to me. “Here, try it out”. Once again, my jaw was probably on the floor as I took hold of the guitar.
I plunked around on it a bit. I have to admit, the neck on that guitar was not for me. It was chunky and difficult to fret. I was honored to play it, but glad I didn’t own it. I handed the guitar back to Jeff and thanked him for his time. He walked me out and thanked me for stopping by.
Turns out Jeff Daniels is just a guy who loves music and spending time with his family. The fact that he is a famous actor is secondary. Jeff is everyday people. It was almost as if I had stopped over to chat with Jeff and play guitar. No big deal.
Ted Danson, Judd Apatow, Phil Anselmo, and Jeff Daniels are just folks who became household names due to their creations. Which raises the question, why isn’t every creative famous? I suppose that has to do with bandwidth and focus. Clearly, they each have incredible drive and focus. However, for some reason, their creative passions were recognized by others, which elevated them to another level. A level that the rest of us have yet to achieve.
While it is cool to talk with folks who have achieved fame, it reminds me that, in the end, they aren’t too different from you and me. We each are driven by our passions. Perhaps one factor is the level of steadfast determination. Maybe another factor is a bit of luck.
Whatever that secret sauce may be, the bottom line is that essentially, we are all the same. I think it helps to remember that little nugget. What do you think?
Upcoming Events You Won't Want to Miss
Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is curated with a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. From that list, here are a few highlights:
Detroit Music Scene Mixer at Guitar HiFi in Royal Oak on Aug 17
Happening TODAY!! Whether you are a fan or in a band, you should come out to the music scene mixer at Guitar Hi-Fi in Royal Oak. The door prizes include a guitar, along with a bunch of other great swag. We’ll have GIG posters and shirts too. This is a wonderful opportunity to relax with other creative people, eat some food, and listen to a bit of music. Don’t miss this one!!
FUZZ FEST 10 at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on Aug 21 to Aug 23
Fuzz Fest celebrates 10 years of fuzzy rock music at the Blind Pig. Somehow, I have made it to every Fuzz Fest and will certainly be at this one. Three days of rock with 33 bands. Come on out and get fuzzy!
Geoff and Jon’s Record Show at Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette on Aug 30
Geoff and Jon are switching things up and doing a single day of record show madness at Blackrocks Brewery. This dovetails into Blackrocks’ Endless Summer Festival, which features 13 musical acts, 14 artists, and four food trucks!
In Other News
The Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival 2025 at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti featured a slightly different groove, but the same great beers.
I finally got a chance to check out the Winestoned Cowboys as they opened up the sunset stage at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival. They are a great band playing real country music with a twist.
Annie and Rod Capps brought the whole band for a fabulous night of music at the Whitney Garden Party in Detroit.
We had a blast at Art Pop in the Ogma Brewing beer garden. Sure, it was hot, but at least it wasn’t snowing!
Finally, over on Rural Innovation Exchange, Rosemary Parker shares an update on the completion of paving the White Pine Trail, the longest paved trail in Michigan.
Life In Michigan Podcast
On the Life In Michigan podcast, we talked with Erin and Ryan Cottongim from Witch’s Hat Brewing about their journey and giving back to the community with events, Fury For A Feas,t which benefits local food banks.
Brewing Community with Witch’s Hat Brewing
In this episode, we sit down with Erin and Ryan Cottongim, the passionate husband-and-wife team behind Witch’s Hat Brewing Company. From humble beginnings with a $3 Mr. Beer kit, they’ve built one of Michigan’s most beloved breweries.
Substack Restack Attack
Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:
I had the pleasure of talking with Matty C on his What Am I Making show. It was a lot of fun, and Matt made me sound much cooler than I really am.
Speaking of meeting cool people, we had the pleasure of enjoying a night of music at the Whitney in Detroit with Marty Slagter and his wife, Lauren. Marty shares some great thoughts on this real-life event. Be sure to subscribe to Radio Amor, as Marty is a powerhouse who covers a wide range of music.
Justin Allen- Photographer goes to a car show to take pictures and learns about the Whizzyfuck 9000!
Adventures Yet To Print
The UFOs (Unfinished Projects) continue to linger: Manistee hiking story, Detroit Vinyl, Michigan Central Station. We also just attended Fury For A Feast and will have that report out next. Then I’ll tackle one of these UFOs before they become unruly.
What Are You Reading?
I took some time off from books and hit up some podcasts. In addition to Ted Danson’s podcast (which I mentioned earlier), I’ve been catching up on Your Aleatoric Reality, the podcast about randomness. I highly recommend it as it is fun and interesting. In particular, check out the interview with game designer Andy Looney (episode 4 of season 2).
What Are You Spinning?
Last month, I caught Winds Of Neptune opening up for Smokin Moses at Small’s in Hamtramck. I see a lot of bands, and many are great. But once in a while, a band comes along that floors you. That happened to me with Winds Of Neptune. I immediately went to Bandcamp to buy everything this band has.
Winds of Neptune is a power trio in the truest sense of the term. The band is made up of Ross Westerbur (vocals and bass), Kevin Roberts (guitar), and Mike Alonso (drums). Their sound is reminiscent of those 70s bands of yore, such as Captain Beyond and Dust, as well as contemporary acts such as Earthless. The songs feature hammer-down rhythms and muscular riffs. The law of the land with Winds Of Neptune is to obey the riff.
Take the track “Green Woman”. The drums and bass are crisp and popping, inciting you to get the fuck up and move. Clean tenor vocals invoke a classic 70s vibe with excellent focus and execution. From this rock-solid foundation, the guitars shine. The riffs are punchy and infectious with a gorgeous tone. The solos rip without going into histrionics.
When talking with Kevin after the show, he mentioned that Winds Of Neptune are working on getting a full album out on vinyl. I honestly can’t wait.
That’s A Wrap
As my buddy Sturgill once said:
“Keep your head out of the clouds
And remember to be kind
And just stay in school
Stay off the drugs
And keep between the lines.”
Thank you for reading. I hope your week is awesome! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!
Now, here is your moment of zen: