Whether it's singing your heart out on stage or spending an afternoon smashing rocks into a lake with a Wiffle ball bat, our kids learn valuable lessons when they see their dad immersed in something he loves. To kick off Father's Day weekend, the guys share the qualities of a solid Father's Day, and Marc waxes philosophical about the values he took away from his own father's woodworking hobby. They welcome legendary musician, dad, and all-around soulful human being, Martin Sexton onto the show and have a marvelous conversation about passion, soul, heartbreak, and fatherhood. And we learn to stay away from the throw pillows at the Flaherty house.
Whether it's singing your heart out on stage or spending an afternoon smashing rocks into a lake with a Wiffle ball bat, our kids learn valuable lessons when they see their dad immersed in something he loves. To kick off Father's Day weekend, the guys share the qualities of a solid Father's Day, and Marc waxes philosophical about the values he took away from his own father's woodworking hobby. They welcome legendary musician, dad, and all-around soulful human being, Martin Sexton onto the show and have a marvelous conversation about passion, soul, heartbreak, and fatherhood. And we learn to stay away from the throw pillows at the Flaherty house.
The 20th episode of Modern Dadhood kicks off Father’s Day weekend 2020, with Adam and Marc discussing what an ideal Father’s Day might look like. They quickly realize they’re on the same page… it’s about spending quality, low-key time with the people you love the most. The conversation shifts to the value of our children seeing us express appreciation and excitement for the things we love to do.
Moving into the episode topic, Adam reminds Marc of a conversation prior to the launch of Modern Dadhood, where Marc quickly identified legendary singer/songwriter Martin Sexton as a guest he’d love to have on the show. Marc shares that Sexton’s music has been there for him since he was a teenager, and accompanied him through joyous times and challenging times. The theme of family frequently appears in Martin’s music, and since having children, the lyrics speak to Marc on a totally different level.
Martin shares stories of growing up in a Catholic family of 12. He describes his own kids, each with a unique story, and what being a dad means to him. Unsurprisingly, the soul that you see Martin emanate on stage is the same passion that he finds in digging in the dirt or playing Wiffle ball with his 11-year-old son Shane. Other topics include:
• Supporting your kids’ interests (even when they’re very different from your own)
• Valuing time together
• Bringing your all to your work
• Following your bliss
• Growing up in a large, diverse Catholic family
• Giving and receiving “tough love”
• The importance of hope, faith, and optimism
• Experiences from your childhood that leave lasting impressions on you
The guys wrap up the episode with another installment of “Did I Just Say That Out Loud?” which might leave you hoping that Adam thoroughly cleans the upholstery in his home.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Links:
Martin Sexton
Martin on Facebook
Martin on Instagram
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Bubby Lewis
Marc:
Back at it again, still dads, still struggling to find a good opening.
Adam:
Good evening, Marc.
Marc:
Good evening, Adam.
Adam:
How are you this fine summer evening?
Marc:
I am well. I just cracked a fresh All Day IPA and I am getting ready to chat dad stuff with you, my man.
Adam:
You're listening to Modern Dadhood, an ongoing conversation about the joys, challenges, and general insanity of being a dad in this moment. My name's Adam Flaherty. I'm a dad of two daughters, six and three.
Marc:
And my name is Marc Checket, and I'm a dad of twin boy toddlers.
Adam:
So, we want to take just a moment to address something. There's a lot of really sad and scary and depressing, and honestly, really just maddening stuff happening in this country right now. And we want you to know that it's not our aim to distract or divert attention from that in any way. And even though it's really terrible. Our hope is that the hard work that's getting done is going to lead to a safer and a more respectful world for our kids to grow up in.
Marc:
And I think if anything, Adam and I hope that the next 30 minutes of this podcast can serve as a bit of a welcome reprieve, for that time when you just need to turn your brain off for a little bit. So, we'll end by saying unequivocally, with love in our hearts, Black Lives Matter.
Adam:
If you're listening to this episode on the release date, Father's Day is two days away.
Marc:
The biggest day on the Modern Dadhood internal calendar.
Adam:
Is it? Man, I wish we prepared more for it then. Wish we created some more content around it.
Marc:
Yeah, I'm not even sure I knew it was coming up, until I read your notes for this episode.
Adam:
Do you guys do anything fun for Father's Day?
Marc:
Well, there's nothing planned, I'll tell you that much.
Adam:
In a non-pandemic world, would you typically do something fun?
Marc:
I don't know. I really haven't thought about it. And I guess it's a little hard because I've only had two so far.
Adam:
Right, right.
Marc:
But the first one, they were just teeny tiny little things and we didn't do anything. Jamie did give me this wonderful gift though. If you've ever seen one of those star map posters?
Adam:
Yeah!
Marc:
It's the night sky seen from a specific location, and it has their names on it and everything. And it was kind of a gift for both of us and she gave it to me on Father's Day, and it was beautiful. I don't remember last year at all though. Is that bad?
Adam:
You've completely blocked it out.
Marc:
Yeah.
Adam:
Maybe that's the sign of a solid Father's Day.
Marc:
Yeah. But if there wasn't a pandemic going on, I'm not really sure. I think I'm going to just do some of the things that I love to do.
Adam:
As it should be, right?
Marc:
I'd love to just maybe go for a walk in the woods and play guitar for a little bit. Maybe drink some coffee, watch a horror movie, that kind of thing. Just do the things that I love to do, especially getting outside, just enjoy being outside, especially this time of year. Everything is blooming all over the place and the smells are incredible. And just getting away and being nowhere near other people for a little while, taking a little bit of time to reflect and maybe sort of a get-back-to-the-basics sort of thing.
Adam:
It's a great time of year to be in nature. And to be honest, I don't think that I remember specifically, my past Father's Days either, and I've had-
Marc:
Oh, good. So, I'm not alone?
Adam:
Yeah. I've had six of them, or this will be my sixth. But I think it's because my wife and I aren't huge on gifts for each other. We'll always do something... In fact, when you mentioned that star chart, she gave me something that sounds really similar to what you're describing for our 10-year wedding anniversary. And it's like, it's special and meaningful, but honestly, when it comes to gifts, we usually, rather than spend a lot of money, we prefer to do something experiential together, go out on a date for an anniversary or for Father's Day. I just want to spend time with my family. I'd love to see my dad, maybe do a little fishing, a little grilling. For me, it's just about hanging with the people that I love. And it's so fun that my girls are in an age now where they can actually enjoy that too.
Marc:
Yeah. Doing the things you love, being around the things that you love and sharing those with your kids, it's absolutely going to leave a positive mark on them.
Adam:
Yes, exactly. I don't know if it's just like a getting older thing or if this happens to everyone after they have kids, but man, I have started to appreciate such small details, things that I took for granted, or maybe just never took the time to actually notice for my whole life. And I feel like I've become more passionate and excited about hobbies than I would have even 10 years ago.
Marc:
I start to think about, in a sense, I mean, you're leading by example.
Adam:
Oh, yeah.
Marc:
In that you're showing your appreciation of the life that you have, and where you live in the world, and those simple things in life.
Adam:
Yeah. That's exactly what it is. It's like that old adage, you're taking time to stop and smell the roses.
Marc:
Excuse me, while I just kind of wax poetic here for a second, but-
Adam:
Please, sir, the floor is yours. Wax on.
Marc:
I've been thinking about my own dad a lot lately, actually, especially since this interview. His passion was woodworking.
Adam:
Yeah.
Marc:
Okay, it was something that he loved to do. He made countless pieces of furniture. I mean, every person in my family has multiple pieces that he's made.
Adam:
That's so cool.
Marc:
Yeah, and I can still see it in his face. Even now when I'm thinking about it, I can see him talking about this finishing oil or that joint or this exotic wood. There was just a passion there. And I'm not into woodworking, not even a little bit really, but I took so much away from that, just from being around him and witnessing that and seeing the way that he put himself into that passion. I learned so much from that.
Adam:
Exactly.
Marc:
From the importance of patience, to the symbolism of gift-giving.
Adam:
Yeah. That's a good one.
Marc:
The necessity of preparation. And I guess what I'm saying is that you're never really sure what lessons your children are going to be taking away from you.
Adam:
Oh, yeah. I love when I can get excited about something and I can just see it in my girls' eyes that they're excited about this new thing too. It's like we feed off of each other's energy. So, I love this conversation. I think when we start talking about showing our kids that we're passionate about things that we love and the values that we've learned from our dads that we pass on to our kids, it's just so cool. And the conversation has potential to go really deep. Our guest today, I think, has some really interesting perspective on all this, and I want to give our listeners a little context. When you and I first started talking about Modern Dadhood, before we even had recorded one second of audio, we had just finished a lunch meeting. Do you remember this?
Marc:
Yes. Oh, yeah. I think I know where you're going.
Adam:
We were planning our first recording session, and we got talking about pie-in-the-sky guests. Who's someone who you would just love to chat about being a father with? And without missing a beat, you said Martin Sexton. Do you remember?
Marc:
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I remember that conversation.
Adam:
So, why did you throw out his name so quickly?
Marc:
Man, there's something about... Family is a big theme in his music.
Adam:
Yes, it is.
Marc:
Actually, it was one of my brothers who first gave me a record of his to listen to, back in '97, '98. And when one of my brothers suggests music to me, I give it a good listen. I take that really seriously. And from that first listen on, it just hit me in the right way, almost at a visceral level, something about the combination of the sounds that he produces and the melodies that he writes and...
Adam:
Lyrics.
Marc:
The lyrics and the subject matter. And when I was 17, it was songs like Black Sheep and songs like In The Journey that just were perfect for me while I was driving around in my '84 Honda Accord smoking cigarettes. But now-
Adam:
Mood.
Marc:
At 38, there's songs like Shane, where he talks about wishing that his son wouldn't grow up so fast, that just poked me right in the feels. I think it was at, I think it's that connection to family, and those songs about his kids. Shane just feels very relevant to me right now.
Adam:
Oh, it's just like, it's so relatable on a completely new level.
Marc:
Oh, yeah. I just knew that he would be a really good person to sit down and have a great conversation with about fatherhood.
Adam:
So, dads, we want you to know that we recorded this conversation during quarantine, but before the protests for racial equality, and I think it's just important to point that out. On that note, Marc, would you like to introduce our guest?
Marc:
I would love to, Adam. I hope you enjoy our interview with singer, songwriter, and fellow dad, Martin Sexton.
Adam:
Hi, Martin.
Martin:
Morning.
Marc:
Good morning to you, sir. Thanks for doing this.
Martin:
No, it's my pleasure.
Marc:
But before we get too far in, I just wanted to share with you that I have a very deep gratitude for the music that you've put out over the years. I've been a fan of yours for a really long time. My brother shared a record with me back in 1998. And by happenstance, I was shopping at a thrift store. It was in like Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. And you were playing at a place down the street that day. I had no idea. I mean, long story short, I've been to countless shows since, but your music has always been there. So, I just wanted to say also, thank you for that.
Martin:
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Marc:
Man, I could talk about music stuff probably all day long, but this is about dadhood.
Martin:
Yeah.
Marc:
How are you and the family holding up during this quarantine time?
Martin:
Well thanks for having me and thanks for asking. We're holding up pretty well, actually. We're stuck in probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet, so that helps a lot. The Adirondack Mountains of Northern New York State. And because I tour a lot, we always had this ebb and flow kind of relationship. So, it's been great because it's only been on the flowing side for the past two months. There's been no ebbing, I haven't been gone. I've been together with them. So, we've certainly had our tests with arguments and bickering and this and that, as families do. But I think we've passed the two-month test, now. It's been two months where we really hadn't left the camp, except to go out and get groceries like every couple of weeks. So, we're doing good. Thank you for asking.
Marc:
Tell us a little bit about your kids.
Martin:
Let's see. My youngest is Shane, he's 11, and he's here with us. He loves very expensive, high-end hyper sports cars. I think his dream is to own a dealership with like Bugattis and Ferraris and McLarens. And he's a sixth-grader. He's getting out of middle school, and he's been homeschooling here for the past few months, just a rambunctious young boy who loves to dig in the dirt and play with rocks and sticks, when he's not on a screen.
Martin:
My stepdaughter, Devin, is studying at Carnegie Mellon. She's 21. And she's brilliant, beautiful young woman. And my daughter Brie is, she's 27 now. She is in Boston, working on a coronavirus research, another brilliant kid. And my son David, he's 33 now. And he was my... My first love and I had a kid as teenagers, and he's up in Central New York working for the DOT and doing his thing and doing well. Everybody's healthy and happy and that's what's most important. Everybody's healthy.
Marc:
Are there some fatherhood lessons that you're taking away from this time?
Martin:
Yeah, yeah, I think so. For sure. I'm taking away that time is the most important thing, I think, I can spend with my kids. It's one thing to send gifts from the road, which is nice, or bring home a little surprise after being out on the road for a while. But that time of just... Like yesterday, we were just, had the Wiffle ball bat, hitting stones out into the lake. Just that kind of simple, strong, beautiful time is, I think, what's most important. And I want to be a friend to my kid, but I also want to be a parent. I don't want to be the dad who's just the fun dad. I mean, I like it to be that too, because I'm a kid myself.
Adam:
Martin, a big component to the theme of this episode is the idea of soul or passion. And one of the things that I've always appreciated about you as a performer is that you will share a story or some context to introduce a song. Then, from the first note, it's like a switch is flipped and you are 1000% immersed in that story, in that subject matter. When you're not on stage, and you're Marty, the dad, when you're digging in the dirt with your youngest son, does that trait still apply? Do you become just fully present and passionate about mud?
Martin:
Oh, yeah, for sure. There's no time like the present. It's been said that yesterday is a canceled check and tomorrow is a promissory note, but today is cash in the hand. And I've been struggling with... I've been talking about building that treehouse with them for the past couple summers, and other things get in the way and we do other fun things. And so, I really struggle with just doing that thing that I've been talking about doing for so long. So, I'm making a pledge here, on your show. I'm going to build a treehouse with my kid, sometime before the summer is out.
Adam:
You know we're going to be checking in with you in October to make sure that you got that done.
Martin:
See, now, I got that little candle under my seat.
Marc:
That's perfect. We've never had a pledge made on the show before. That's a first. So, I wanted to just rewind just a tiny bit to when you were a kid, because you're from a family of 12. How do you think that your experience growing up in such a large family has influenced the decisions that you make as a dad?
Martin:
Well, I think it taught me to get along with all kinds of personalities. There were six boys, six girls, two parents, all different kinds of people, older, younger, gay, straight, conservative, liberal. We're this whole kind of cross-section of America, in my one family. So, every night at dinner was, there were bickers, there were spats, there was love. But by the end of the meal, we all remembered we were family. So, by the time dessert was being served, we just agreed to disagree on things. And I think that translates into my life now. So, I try to bring that to my family where we can have our differing opinions, we can have our different passions. And I think if we just respect one another, we're going to get along just fine. So, if my kid is into things that I'm not into, that's cool. I also don't want to force, I've never tried to force anything on my kids. I mean, I try to be stern and have some discipline. I do like the tough love thing from time to time. I do believe in it, that sometimes you have to be tough. And then, my parents definitely, they kicked me out of the house as a teenager because I chose to do drugs. They said, "You know what? You can't do that in our house." And I kind of appreciate that. It made me, I had to figure it out as a 17-year-old. And it was good for me. It was a good learning, teaching moment, as we call them now. But I don't want to be the dad who just forces the kid to, say, get into music or get into the right college. I try to remember that kids are their own people. They really are. I do believe, I'm sort of that school that I think kids are their own people. We can't control them. We have to sort of let them do their thing, with guidance and love and acceptance along the way.
Adam:
You just mentioned the phrase “tough love” in reference to getting kicked out of the house. One of the things we explore a lot on this show is how our own upbringings shape the way we raise our kids. Have you found that there have been specific times when you've had to give some of that tough love to your kids to help them learn a lesson?
Martin:
Oh, yeah. Many times. Not as much or as tough in my generation, for sure. But it's definitely there. I don't know who it was, it might've been Jordan Peterson, who said, "You don't want to raise someone you don't like." So, when I see my kid doing behavior that I don't like, I'm like, "That's my bad." And I don't mean just personality stuff. I mean, like bad manners or bad or just laziness or stuff that I think is unacceptable. I don't want to raise that kid. So, it's up to me to not raise that person, remembering that they are their own person, after all.
Marc:
In your music a lot, you'd sing about difficult times. I'm sure some of it comes from your own experiences and in your past. But I feel like there's always a very hopeful quality to your music. Sometimes, even just a straight-up hopeful message. In your opinion, how important is it for all of us to learn concepts like hope and faith and optimism, and what role do you think that plays in our children's lives?
Martin:
I think that plays a huge role in the kids' lives, and ours. I mean, without hope, depression can sink in and really take root deeply. Without optimism, you can just be a narcissistic, negative, unhappy person. And faith, I think you got to have some of that because you can't see everything right in front of you. When my daughter was born and I was a poor, broke 23-year-old musician, all's I saw was what was right in front of me, which was, "Oh, my God, how am I going to have a kid? I just lost my rent gig. I really don't have any money. And oh, by the way, I want to have a musician career. How do you do that with a kid?" I wish somebody could have whispered in my ear, "Hey, don't worry about it, Marty. That kid's going to grow up and she's going to work on curing coronavirus." "What's coronavirus?" "You'll see." You know what I mean? So, the faith kind of is that grease on the skids to kind of help us through.
Marc:
And that's what I mean about the music too, because you have a song, Love Keep Us Together.
Martin:
Yeah.
Marc:
Which I believe is about that time.
Martin:
Yeah.
Marc:
And on the surface, it's a beautiful song. I mean, as a listener, you're not really tapping into that, the heavier weight of that. It's kind of an uplifting, almost optimistic-sounding piece of music. I think that's an amazing ability that you have.
Martin:
Yeah, thank you. That tune is all about that uncertainty. Where do you turn? You're a teenager. Your girlfriend is not only going to have your baby, but now she's decided to leave you. Then, she had the kid. And I didn't, and she kind of didn't want me around. So, being a teenager that was like, okay, my goal was to get into his life before he hit kindergarten. It took me a while because she didn't want me around, so I had to fight. But again, another beautiful person came out of that and that's my son. And he shows up probably the most in all of my songs, my son, David.
Marc:
That's a lot of heavy decision-making. 22 years old, I was a big dum-dum still at 22.
Martin:
So was I! Yeah.
Marc:
Oh good, I'm glad we all have that in common.
Martin:
Weren't we all?
Marc:
Yeah. I feel like, yeah, you just have this knack for tapping into times from your past. What is it about childhood that leaves deep enough impressions like that, that you're able to later come back to them and write a song that can recount them?
Martin:
That's a good one. Well, if you think of a tree, if it's a little sapling, I mean, if you put a little scar on it, it'll grow into a huge redwood. A thousand years later, they'll still have the remnants of that scar. And it doesn't have to be a scar, it could be a good thing. Could be a beautiful memory, a beautiful experience, and it grows into this beautiful, big, strong thing.
Martin:
Personally, when I was a kid about Shane's age, about 10 or 11, my best friend's grandfather had a camp in the Adirondacks. And they took me up for like maybe two weekends. That was like the scar in the sapling for me. It was just, it's like they in-steeped this thing into me, this love for this Adirondacks where I live now, and ever since I was 10, I just knew I had to have a camp in the Adirondacks. And so, the first place I ever bought when I got enough money from singing was a little camp in the Adirondacks.
Adam:
Wow.
Martin:
So, I remember that. And I try to remember that because things you put into a kid, it's like an investment. You could take a dollar and put it into this investment. And that dollar could turn into tens of thousands of dollars later on, depending how things go. So, I try to remember that if I'm about to yell at my kid or say something demeaning or something, that stuff lasts.
Adam:
It seems like you've always had a very strong work ethic and been really driven to write and record and tour. What's something that you hope your kids take away from observing that work ethic?
Martin:
I would hope that they take away from my work ethic, a sense of following your bliss.
Adam:
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Martin:
Joseph Campbell said that, and I really took that to heart. Because I feel if I chase my bliss, good things are going to happen. And I hope my kids see that. Hey, dad's actually making a great living doing something he actually loves, performing and getting applause from people and then getting paid for it. And I love that. I want to do that. And what people don't see in my 90-minute show, they see me emoting and joyful and singing along, and it's a wonderful thing. What people don't see is the other 23-and-a-half hours of the day it took to get there and get ready and set up, and pay the agents and the managers and the business managers and the blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't know, I hope my kids just get the sense from me that work doesn't have to be toil. It doesn't have to be something you have to do, simply because you got to pay the mortgage.
Adam:
That's a great answer. You mentioned being on stage and emoting for an hour and a half. And nobody in that room would ever question whether the energy and the emotion you bring to your performance is authentic. It's just you, and it's always been you. I have to assume that you bring that same energy and zest to your music, even when you're just jamming with your son Shane, or giving him a guitar lesson in your attic.
Martin:
I do. Yep. The joy comes out, even if I don't feel like it. It's funny, but if I don't feel like doing a guitar lesson or if I don't feel like, oh, it's Tuesday night in Ames, Iowa… bring the ass, and the mind will follow. So, I bring the ass and the mind and the heart follow, so by the second song, the joy's kicked in, the folks are reacting. It's magic. The people, they just spent their 25 bucks to come and listen to you, so you got to remember that it doesn't matter how you feel right now, there's a thousand of them out there and you got to put it on, man. You got to do it. You got to show them what they came to see.
Marc:
Yeah. That's such a good lesson to take with you everywhere in your life.
Martin:
I try to look people in the eye. If I'm at a gas station and they're opposite me at the other side of the pump, and look them in the eye and just say, "Hey, how are you doing?" I just like to say hi. I don't know why. I just feel like we need that as humans to just say hello and look somebody in the eye. And I do that in front of my kids. I want my kids to do that too. I don't want them to look at their shoes.
Adam:
I agree. I mean, doing that stuff is so important. When I'm riding bikes with my daughters, my six-year-old notices that I wave to the cars as they pass by us in the neighborhood. Sometimes, she'll say, "Do you know that person?" And I love that because it gives me the opportunity to say, "Nope. Nope, I'm just being friendly." And I know that that is something that will stick with her. Whether you're on stage bringing the soul and giving yourself to your audience or just shooting a smile at somebody at the grocery store or the gas pump, you're sending some happiness into the universe. And I think it kind of all circles back because when your kids have the benefit of observing that you live your life that way, it shapes them. You are raising people who you like. Because of who you are, do you find that people often recognize you when you say hello at a gas station?
Martin:
Oftentimes, yeah, which is a beautiful thing. Because they're always very respectful and they never want to like pull my shirt off. They always just want to tell me a story about a song of mine that was connected to a certain memory in their life, which is a dream come true every time it happens.
Marc:
Martin Sexton, it's been great having the chance to chat with you. Thank you so much for taking the time.
Martin:
Thank you guys for having this show because fatherhood, it's an important thing. And I think it's easy to forget about that. So, kudos to you guys for having a show that celebrates something so important.
Adam:
Well, it's our pleasure. And it gives us an excuse to gab with people who we admire about something that we all have in common.
Martin:
Cool, man.
Adam:
You got visitors, Marc.
Marc:
There they are! They came back.
Martin:
Hi. Hello, beautiful. Hello, beauties.
Marc:
Oh, my gosh. That's my wife, Jamie, by the way.
Martin:
Well, thank you, fellas. Keep up the great work.
Adam:
Thanks so much. Be well.
Marc:
Thank you, Martin.
Adam:
Wow, man. Talk about passion. That dude is the real deal.
Marc:
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've seen him live in so many occasions, I've lost count. I've actually seen him on a boat, that goes-
Adam:
Really?
Marc:
Yeah, I've seen, twice on a, they call it the Blues Cruise in New York City, and it goes around the Statue of Liberty and he sings, he'll sing America the Beautiful as it goes around the Statue of Liberty and it's kind of a trip.
Adam:
That's fun.
Marc:
He just pulls you in. I mean, you said it before. I think somewhere along the line, there's something about his music that really just pulls you in, especially in a live setting. But there was a show that I saw years back. I think it was me and Jamie, went to go see him. And it was a place called Irving Plaza in New York, which is-
Adam:
Yeah. I've heard of it.
Marc:
I don't know if it's there anymore, but great little venue, small, tight, long bar at the backstage at one end. And it's really small, small stage, it was one of those kinds of places where you're just shoulder to shoulder to people and everybody's wearing each other's sweat by the end of the night. And he was doing a song. I think it was a song called My Maria, which is about a statue of the Virgin Mary at a school that he went to. It's not a particularly raucous song, but people were singing along. It was one of those, everybody knows the lyrics, and he's up there by himself, total solo show, no drummer or anything like that. And he's just got everybody's attention, and everybody's singing along. Then, in the middle of the song, he just kind of starts to noodle a little bit. And he takes a big, couple big steps back from the microphone. Now, he's now six feet back from the microphone. And his noodling gets really quiet and everybody's kind of still maybe bopping their head, but also kind of get this feeling of like, "Where's he going with this?" sort of thing. And he starts to sing Ave Maria in Latin.
Adam:
Wow.
Marc:
He just sings, he sings like a couple bars of Ave Maria in Latin. And everybody in this place goes silent.
Adam:
Wow.
Marc:
And he's just in this other world.
Adam:
That's what I'm talking about. Just turning it on. It's like, you can't fake that kind of performance.
Marc:
He eventually steps back up to the microphone and goes right back into where he was, in My Maria. And everybody was just like, "I don't even know what I just saw." I mean, it was, and that was years ago. I'm never going to forget it. I'll never forget that.
Marc:
And now, time for another installment of the smash hit segment, Did I Just Say That Out Loud?
Adam:
Oh, boy, I got one for you, Marc.
Marc:
Hit me with it.
Adam:
The thing is, this one doesn't even really need any context, that doesn't really need to be a story with it. Oh, I'm going to say the quote that I said. Just came out of me, without thinking. Just, you'll know why. You'll know exactly what it is. Are you ready?
Marc:
Should you say it, and then I'll try to guess the scenario that led to it?
Adam:
Yeah. I mean, it's not even a scenario. It's just, you will instantly get it. It's just something that I really never expected to ever have to say out loud in my life.
Marc:
Okay.
Adam:
I’m gonna back up a little bit for this. “Don't put your naked bumhole on the pillows!”
Marc:
Oh, man. Bumhole. Is that like a Flaherty household term or something?
Adam:
No. No, sometimes I feel like it's just a little bit softer than butthole, but I say butthole too. I mean, the thing is-
Marc:
Bumhole.
Adam:
My girls are six and three. And when they're inside, they love, they think it's so funny to take their clothes off and run around naked.
Marc:
It's freeing.
Adam:
And sometimes they'll have half their clothes on, half naked. Sometimes they'll have a shirt on or a nightgown on and no underwear. And kids are stinky, man. I just don't want the buttholes all over the couch and the pillows. That's like, it doesn't work for me. It's got to stop.
Marc:
That in and of itself was a Did I Just Say That Out Loud? I don't want their buttholes all over the couch.
Adam:
“Don't put your naked bumhole on the pillows!”
Adam:
Well, listen, we talked about a lot of pretty heavy things in this episode, and had a great conversation with Martin Sexton. And now, it's time to close it up.
Marc:
I knew you were going to say that.
Adam:
Dads, you can find us at ModernDadhood.com, on Apple podcasts or any of the podcast platforms, wherever you like to listen. Please give us a subscribe, a rate, a review. It would mean the world to us.
Marc:
And you know what? Tell your friends about the show. Heck, get them to subscribe. And you know what? While you're at it, give us their shirt size. Maybe we'll send them a Modern Dadhoodie. Maybe.
Adam:
Maybe. We have a limited run of Modern Dadhoodies.
Marc:
It's true.
Adam:
But we'll consider.
Marc:
Yeah, we will.
Adam:
We would love for you to drop us a line at hey@moderndadhood.com. Feel free to share ideas for episode themes, anybody you think would make a great guest on the show, even if it's yourself. And a major thank you to Caspar Babypants, Spencer Albee, and Bubby Lewis for the music in our show. Thanks to Pete Morse at Red Vault Audio for mixing our show and making us sound as good as we possibly can, considering that you're recording, sitting on a toilet in your home.
Marc:
And thank you for listening.
Adam:
Hope all you dads have a wonderful Father's Day.