August 4, 2024 • 16 mins
Former GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger joins Ronny Chieng to discuss Power the Polls, the non-partisan initiative to ensure safe and fair elections. Plus, singer, songwriter, and producer Eric Burton shares how he developed his Grammy-nominated band, Black Pumas, in the Austin, TX music scene.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome back to the Davery Show. My guest tonight is
a former GOP lawmaker who is the Advisory Council co
chair of Power the Polls, a national, non partisan effort
to recruit the next generation of POE workers to ensure
safe and fay elections for all voters. Please welcome Representative
Adam Kinsinger.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now Congressman. Congressman.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thanks will be on the show.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Great to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thank you stuck your neck out politically and personally to
put politics over personal benefit the party. Someone say country
over pot. I need to speak against Trump despite being
a congressman for the Republicans. Why the did you do that?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I ask myself that every day.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
No.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Look, I really had no other option. I mean, so,
I wear on my wrist the name of a guy
Andreas O'Keeffe, who I knew, who was killed in Iraq,
and I'm an Iraq veteran, and I just remember thinking
when I ran for Congress the first time, if we're
going to ask young people to be willing to die
for a country, like to be willing to fight and
die the ultimate sacrifice. If I go into politics, I
(01:30):
have to be willing to give my career for the
same cause.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
It's such a.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Minor sacrifice in comparison to what we ask people to
do every day.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, but what was what was your problem with Trump? Well?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I don't know, you know, the fascism, the overthrowing the government,
you know, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
I mean you would think that's a pretty big issue,
but I guess not big enough. I mean, you have
insight because you were in Congress from twenty eleven until
twenty twenty three, I think, and so you have kind
of behind the scenes access. You talk to these people
all the time, and I think it's very popular to
say America has never been more divisive than is now.
(02:09):
You have perspective on it. You know, you've been that
UF a long time and you were working day. Is
that true? Was it device way flat way in? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
I mean, look, it's you know, behind the scenes. It's
kind of like any job. So people will fight on
the air, you know, within Congress, and then when the
cameras come off, you shake each other's hands, maybe go
out for a drink. That's happened less lately. I mean
there's a real division that started to creep in where
people just hate each other now because of political differences.
I mean, they can't stand to be around each other.
But I think if America actually saw the behind the
(02:37):
scenes of what was happening, they'd be like, man, I
can't believe they're manipulating us to fight each other as
deeply as we are out here when they back there
are just kind of playing the game, and it's it's
really a sad state of affairs.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Okay, So you'll experienced opinion is that it is getting
more divisive.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
I think Congress, I think the country certainly, and in Congress, yes,
I think they're just starting to. I mean, you got
Marjorie Taylor Green there for goodness sake. I mean, like,
who would get along with her in real life?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Well, I mean would the potty people get along with her? Why?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
They love her now because she raises money for him,
because she goes out there and gets attention and so yeah.
But when I when she was there, when I was there,
initially she was a pariah until she started getting on
TV and tweeting and every and then she became pretty
popular in the party somehow.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
But like genuine like you know, professionally popular, or would
they actually be now they're now friends, but I think there's.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Probably some that like to you know, that would be
a friend with her because access to power. But yeah,
mostly it's just professional.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And in your again expert opinion, how much of this
is I like to believe that it's just internet bullshit
that gets taken into real life, and in real life
we don't behave like this. But for some reason, these
people I managed to take the comments section and bring it,
you know, So how much of that is is real?
And I'm all saying how much of it is this
internet mentality? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I mean, look, I think a significant amount of it is.
It's this is kind of the untold secret politicians watch
Twitter and so when you see things happening on Twitter
this way, I mean Donald Trump was the master at this.
You'd see some conspiracy pop up and he'd give a
nod to it. And what's happened is leaders have gone
from like supposed to be leading and talking about, you know,
trying to direct opinion right, trying to lead us to
(04:17):
a better place, to now following insanity. And it's basically
like a dog now chasing its tail out in the
middle of traffic. And I think that's what you're seeing.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
On that note, like what what what is the solution?
I mean, in your opinion, how how can Americans come
togein and bridge? This kind of the solution is in
all of us.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I mean, and I'm not trying to sound like esoteric
and like big word, like, really we control government. It's
truly government for of and by the people. We've got
to quit voting for these clowns that decide they want
to go there and be more famous than they want.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
To do good.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Those to this point, we need to we need to
make sure our presidents actually care about something more than
their own ego and more than their own narcissism. They
care about a country.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
And I mean that, like I really am soaking.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I just I truly believe that America can take our
political system back. We have to believe we can, and
we have to say enough of you abusing us for money,
for followers, for likes. We demand mature, grown up government.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So yeah, and you'll here to talk about power the
poll about that.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
So look, one of the most important things in an
election is just the ability to actually do that election.
And you think about poll workers, especially on election day,
they're out there, you know, grinding down every day. They're
starting at whatever, six seven in the morning, going till
night to make sure that you can vote, to make
sure the lines are moving and they're done quickly. That
is the bulwark of making sure that an election is free,
(05:52):
fair and accurate and so Power the Polls is about
recruiting a million poll workers to work and defender of
the next generation of poll workers. In some states, you
can be as young as sixteen or seventeen to go
work in the polls. It's a great way to serve
your community, to connect to the community, and so Power
the Polls dot org. Go there, and it's a great
time to sign up to do this.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, it's it's kind of a civic duty.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
It is.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
It is get paid. Oh you get paid you can yeah, okay,
I then forget my question I was going I was
gonna say, I was gonna say it feels a bit
like a thankless task at the moment to try to
power American democracy is like, oh, you know, why go
through that right now?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
It does feel like a thankless task. And that's the
sad thing is, especially the next generation, which is what
Power the Polls is focused on. They have been they've
been so beaten down on democracy. Democracy to them is
just like, well, it's just what people say to go
after each other. We have to inspire that generation because look,
I really believe this next generation is going to be
the ones to take the keys out of the hands
(06:50):
of the people that have been holding the keys to
power too long. And there's no better way to get
started than to be a young person and see how
democracy works in the nuts and bullets.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Right, And if you're fitting fustrated by the system and
you don't know where to start, this sounds like a
way to kind of Look, I just want to get involved.
I don't want to get bogged down in some weird
cultural war. I just want to help my country.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
And look, and you're going to be working with people
that have different political views. In you all committed to democracy.
If we can all agree on that basic thing, I
think there's seriously, there's no limits in the future of
this country. We just have to convince ourselves with it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So what And you know, as someone coming from a
conservative background, like, why is it that whenever we talk
about like voting access, election access, why does that always
feel like a left issue?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Right? It's crazy?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
It's because for whatever reason, there's a they feel threatened
in the GOP that the more people vote, the more
in danger they are. And I think we know why
because what they're talking about today, what you see them
out there discussing, is not what the vast majority of
Americans wants. The thing they can hope is to turn
their base out. Look, I think it should be a
nonpartisan or bipartisan or whatever issue to say, if you
(08:06):
have a right to vote in this country, we should
make it as accessible and easy for you to vote.
And then, by the way, if you can't win, then
go out and get better ideas to get people to
vote for you.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's going to be through the lit and Well. I
love about having you on the show is you know,
we get to talk to people outside of on a
go chamber. I think a little bit. I mean, what
is your conservative argument for voting for a democratic president?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Oh, it's really easy. I believe in democracy. I mean
democracy was I was there on January sixth. I had
to live through that, standing for the Constitution, standing for democracy.
There is nothing more conservative than that. And Donald Trump
is the exact opposite of that. So for me, Kamala
Harris is going to defend that democracy. And I think
every Republican that takes their views viewpoint seriously, old school Republican,
(09:01):
not whatever this new thing is, should be voting the
same way.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, you know, thank you, Congressman. I really wish you
want former congressman. I wish you are current Congressman. I
wish you could run again. Thank you so much for
coming and speak to us, and thank you for trying
to do something for a country called the policy. My
(09:25):
guess tonight is the singer, songwriter and producer the Drammy
nominator band Black Pumas, whose latest album is called Chronicles
of a Diamond. Please welcome Eric Alberta's Oh god, thanks
(09:53):
so much for being on the show. You're making me
cooler just by joining me at the desk. Thanks so much.
I feel so cool. I feel like your band right
now is in such a great place culturally. You're liking
that crime if you feel differently, but you're in that
sweet spot of you're still you're big enough to sell
out radio city and people love your music, but you're
(10:15):
still that kind of underground vibe where you're not you know,
you don't have to play to like a mainstream Uh,
you know, sensibility or doingthing you don't want to do.
I mean, do you feel that way?
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Which is a great place to be because we feel
in charge of our self expression, which is amazing as
artists and human beings, and you know, selling out Radio
city here in New York is still like really cool
for us, So we don't take.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
It for granted.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
It's been amazing and just being in here in this
this smaller TV audience situation is super super dope.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
No, you can't.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And I mean the authenticity is coming through in the
second album. I feel like I can still feel it.
I mean that that was one of my questions for
you was like, do you feel that transition from you know,
making your first album where you're just pure self expression
and doing what you want to do to the second
album where there's the expectations for it now kind of
(11:10):
you know, did you feel that kind of pressure they
changed your creative approach.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
To it most definitely so for the last album. With
the last album, I was really lucky because of my
other half, Adrian Casada. He came to the table with
such a knowledge and such a sensitivity to towards the culture,
towards the style of music. That I just you can't
say black people, yeah, black people.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
But it was really easy for me to kind of
to kind of adopt the character that that was being
presented by way of the canvas that is soul music.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
And so as we accomplished.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
That, and he likes some of my songs, and those
songs kind of helped kind of catapult black pumas like colors.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
You know. It was, it was, it's been really amazing.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
But for this, the second album, there was way much
more you know, pressure. But you know, I was I
was raised in an artist's household, and I was always
taught to kind of genuinely be okay with expressing myself.
And thankfully the people have kind of.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Allowed it, you know. So it feels nice to be here.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
You haven't changed yet, not yet, not never, right, And
I guess I know you're still with an indie music label.
Oh yeah, record, But do you feel like this second album,
with the more anticipation and the undoubted success of the
first one, do you feel like that do you have
more resources now? Like, how is it actually affecting how
(12:34):
you make music for the second album?
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Well, when we did so well the first time around,
I kind of immediately learned that our team, which is
a great team, they were kind of relying on us
too for direction, and so that was like that came
as a really big surprise. While well it doesn't sound
super like a big deal, it came as a surprise
(12:58):
because I don't I don't know that we were for
sure as to what direction we wanted to go in.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So we just continued to be genuine, to continue to be.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Honest, and it's led us in some uh you know,
into some places that have been really new and very cool,
and we're still we're still like observing people's.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Reaction to it.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
So that's been like really nice, right, And you came
up kind of playing smaller gigs coming up and now
Radio City and this, you know, everything is really happening
for you. Like do you do you feel like you uh,
do you still go back to play small gigs? It's
the energy of that.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
All most definitely.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
So I'm lucky because I was busking before everybody hated me.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So what city were busking?
Speaker 5 (13:42):
I was busting in Santa Monica in Los Angeles, And
so I went from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas, where
there's a live show for anybody and everybody every single day.
So to be interjected in such a culture where the
artist is just embraced in the uncanny way. That really
opened my eyes to being able to play and not
(14:04):
having to pay to play, you know too, but being
able to play and really just integrate in the culture. So,
you know, we played Sea Boys, which is a smaller
venue shotgun club, and.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
If you'ed out that energy, obviously smaller everyone's there, you're
playing original music and you're killing it.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
And yes, but there's there's that sense that you know,
you you really have to work hard because we have
friends who come in there and you know, just in
the back like doing that thing.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
But you know you're playing, You're you're like trying to
prove yourself versus where your city where everyone's there.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
To most definitely, and I want to say, like briefly
that we were just very lucky just from the very
get go, Like as soon as I met Adrian Casata,
we had such a chemistry. Obviously, you know, I'm a
creative and an artist first, and it helped to be
with a partner who was just knowledgeable enough to kind
of help me find a container for.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
That musically and to then see the stage and in
such a real way. I used to be in theater.
I grew up acting, and so you know, it's not
that much different, there's you.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
Know, so so to be in that situation in Austin, Texas,
it was like the perfect place to cultivate the live
performative element.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Right, And I hood you recently went into a silent
meditation retreat.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
Yeah, most definitely. I discovered a pastna through through a
girlfriend of mine and change my world. I have done
the retreat twice.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's free. They fed me for free, they put me
up for free.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
What's the condition? You just have to for seven days?
Exactly exactly, so I should say it's a silent retreat.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I used it silent retreat. So it's a silent retreat.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
You get there, it's maybe one hundred students, five instructors,
and you learn the technique, which is really easy to learn,
is to shut up.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yes, just to be quiet, you know the technique. The
technique for that is a quiet skill. I guess these
days what happens if you don't shut up? Did they
like kick you out that? How do they kick you out?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
You can get kicked out? Yeah, for sure. So you
can get kicked out. But I I think that the
technique is to get you on a vehicle to the.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
Source of how and or where our subconscious mind is
reacting to, you know, our thoughts and things that might
have happened in the past. So to get to the
bottom of it, it's really technique to do.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
So, Yeah, that sounds horrible somehow, I'll never do that.
But chronicles All the Diamond is available now. Everybody in
a back room out.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Everybody Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe
by searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch The Daily Show week nights at eleven ten Central
on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Plus Paramount Podcasts
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome back to the Davery Show. My guest tonight is
a former GOP lawmaker who is the Advisory Council co
chair of Power the Polls, a national, non partisan effort
to recruit the next generation of POE workers to ensure
safe and fay elections for all voters. Please welcome Representative
Adam Kinsinger.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now Congressman. Congressman.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thanks will be on the show.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Great to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thank you stuck your neck out politically and personally to
put politics over personal benefit the party. Someone say country
over pot. I need to speak against Trump despite being
a congressman for the Republicans. Why the did you do that?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I ask myself that every day.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
No.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Look, I really had no other option. I mean, so,
I wear on my wrist the name of a guy
Andreas O'Keeffe, who I knew, who was killed in Iraq,
and I'm an Iraq veteran, and I just remember thinking
when I ran for Congress the first time, if we're
going to ask young people to be willing to die
for a country, like to be willing to fight and
die the ultimate sacrifice. If I go into politics, I
(01:30):
have to be willing to give my career for the
same cause.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
It's such a.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Minor sacrifice in comparison to what we ask people to
do every day.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, but what was what was your problem with Trump? Well?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I don't know, you know, the fascism, the overthrowing the government,
you know, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
I mean you would think that's a pretty big issue,
but I guess not big enough. I mean, you have
insight because you were in Congress from twenty eleven until
twenty twenty three, I think, and so you have kind
of behind the scenes access. You talk to these people
all the time, and I think it's very popular to
say America has never been more divisive than is now.
(02:09):
You have perspective on it. You know, you've been that
UF a long time and you were working day. Is
that true? Was it device way flat way in? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
I mean, look, it's you know, behind the scenes. It's
kind of like any job. So people will fight on
the air, you know, within Congress, and then when the
cameras come off, you shake each other's hands, maybe go
out for a drink. That's happened less lately. I mean
there's a real division that started to creep in where
people just hate each other now because of political differences.
I mean, they can't stand to be around each other.
But I think if America actually saw the behind the
(02:37):
scenes of what was happening, they'd be like, man, I
can't believe they're manipulating us to fight each other as
deeply as we are out here when they back there
are just kind of playing the game, and it's it's
really a sad state of affairs.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Okay, So you'll experienced opinion is that it is getting
more divisive.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
I think Congress, I think the country certainly, and in Congress, yes,
I think they're just starting to. I mean, you got
Marjorie Taylor Green there for goodness sake. I mean, like,
who would get along with her in real life?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Well, I mean would the potty people get along with her? Why?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
They love her now because she raises money for him,
because she goes out there and gets attention and so yeah.
But when I when she was there, when I was there,
initially she was a pariah until she started getting on
TV and tweeting and every and then she became pretty
popular in the party somehow.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
But like genuine like you know, professionally popular, or would
they actually be now they're now friends, but I think there's.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Probably some that like to you know, that would be
a friend with her because access to power. But yeah,
mostly it's just professional.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And in your again expert opinion, how much of this
is I like to believe that it's just internet bullshit
that gets taken into real life, and in real life
we don't behave like this. But for some reason, these
people I managed to take the comments section and bring it,
you know, So how much of that is is real?
And I'm all saying how much of it is this
internet mentality? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I mean, look, I think a significant amount of it is.
It's this is kind of the untold secret politicians watch
Twitter and so when you see things happening on Twitter
this way, I mean Donald Trump was the master at this.
You'd see some conspiracy pop up and he'd give a
nod to it. And what's happened is leaders have gone
from like supposed to be leading and talking about, you know,
trying to direct opinion right, trying to lead us to
(04:17):
a better place, to now following insanity. And it's basically
like a dog now chasing its tail out in the
middle of traffic. And I think that's what you're seeing.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
On that note, like what what what is the solution?
I mean, in your opinion, how how can Americans come
togein and bridge? This kind of the solution is in
all of us.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I mean, and I'm not trying to sound like esoteric
and like big word, like, really we control government. It's
truly government for of and by the people. We've got
to quit voting for these clowns that decide they want
to go there and be more famous than they want.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
To do good.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Those to this point, we need to we need to
make sure our presidents actually care about something more than
their own ego and more than their own narcissism. They
care about a country.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
And I mean that, like I really am soaking.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I just I truly believe that America can take our
political system back. We have to believe we can, and
we have to say enough of you abusing us for money,
for followers, for likes. We demand mature, grown up government.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So yeah, and you'll here to talk about power the
poll about that.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
So look, one of the most important things in an
election is just the ability to actually do that election.
And you think about poll workers, especially on election day,
they're out there, you know, grinding down every day. They're
starting at whatever, six seven in the morning, going till
night to make sure that you can vote, to make
sure the lines are moving and they're done quickly. That
is the bulwark of making sure that an election is free,
(05:52):
fair and accurate and so Power the Polls is about
recruiting a million poll workers to work and defender of
the next generation of poll workers. In some states, you
can be as young as sixteen or seventeen to go
work in the polls. It's a great way to serve
your community, to connect to the community, and so Power
the Polls dot org. Go there, and it's a great
time to sign up to do this.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, it's it's kind of a civic duty.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
It is.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
It is get paid. Oh you get paid you can yeah, okay,
I then forget my question I was going I was
gonna say, I was gonna say it feels a bit
like a thankless task at the moment to try to
power American democracy is like, oh, you know, why go
through that right now?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
It does feel like a thankless task. And that's the
sad thing is, especially the next generation, which is what
Power the Polls is focused on. They have been they've
been so beaten down on democracy. Democracy to them is
just like, well, it's just what people say to go
after each other. We have to inspire that generation because look,
I really believe this next generation is going to be
the ones to take the keys out of the hands
(06:50):
of the people that have been holding the keys to
power too long. And there's no better way to get
started than to be a young person and see how
democracy works in the nuts and bullets.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Right, And if you're fitting fustrated by the system and
you don't know where to start, this sounds like a
way to kind of Look, I just want to get involved.
I don't want to get bogged down in some weird
cultural war. I just want to help my country.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
And look, and you're going to be working with people
that have different political views. In you all committed to democracy.
If we can all agree on that basic thing, I
think there's seriously, there's no limits in the future of
this country. We just have to convince ourselves with it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So what And you know, as someone coming from a
conservative background, like, why is it that whenever we talk
about like voting access, election access, why does that always
feel like a left issue?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Right? It's crazy?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
It's because for whatever reason, there's a they feel threatened
in the GOP that the more people vote, the more
in danger they are. And I think we know why
because what they're talking about today, what you see them
out there discussing, is not what the vast majority of
Americans wants. The thing they can hope is to turn
their base out. Look, I think it should be a
nonpartisan or bipartisan or whatever issue to say, if you
(08:06):
have a right to vote in this country, we should
make it as accessible and easy for you to vote.
And then, by the way, if you can't win, then
go out and get better ideas to get people to
vote for you.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's going to be through the lit and Well. I
love about having you on the show is you know,
we get to talk to people outside of on a
go chamber. I think a little bit. I mean, what
is your conservative argument for voting for a democratic president?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Oh, it's really easy. I believe in democracy. I mean
democracy was I was there on January sixth. I had
to live through that, standing for the Constitution, standing for democracy.
There is nothing more conservative than that. And Donald Trump
is the exact opposite of that. So for me, Kamala
Harris is going to defend that democracy. And I think
every Republican that takes their views viewpoint seriously, old school Republican,
(09:01):
not whatever this new thing is, should be voting the
same way.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, you know, thank you, Congressman. I really wish you
want former congressman. I wish you are current Congressman. I
wish you could run again. Thank you so much for
coming and speak to us, and thank you for trying
to do something for a country called the policy. My
(09:25):
guess tonight is the singer, songwriter and producer the Drammy
nominator band Black Pumas, whose latest album is called Chronicles
of a Diamond. Please welcome Eric Alberta's Oh god, thanks
(09:53):
so much for being on the show. You're making me
cooler just by joining me at the desk. Thanks so much.
I feel so cool. I feel like your band right
now is in such a great place culturally. You're liking
that crime if you feel differently, but you're in that
sweet spot of you're still you're big enough to sell
out radio city and people love your music, but you're
(10:15):
still that kind of underground vibe where you're not you know,
you don't have to play to like a mainstream Uh,
you know, sensibility or doingthing you don't want to do.
I mean, do you feel that way?
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Which is a great place to be because we feel
in charge of our self expression, which is amazing as
artists and human beings, and you know, selling out Radio
city here in New York is still like really cool
for us, So we don't take.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
It for granted.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
It's been amazing and just being in here in this
this smaller TV audience situation is super super dope.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
No, you can't.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And I mean the authenticity is coming through in the
second album. I feel like I can still feel it.
I mean that that was one of my questions for
you was like, do you feel that transition from you know,
making your first album where you're just pure self expression
and doing what you want to do to the second
album where there's the expectations for it now kind of
(11:10):
you know, did you feel that kind of pressure they
changed your creative approach.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
To it most definitely so for the last album. With
the last album, I was really lucky because of my
other half, Adrian Casada. He came to the table with
such a knowledge and such a sensitivity to towards the culture,
towards the style of music. That I just you can't
say black people, yeah, black people.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
But it was really easy for me to kind of
to kind of adopt the character that that was being
presented by way of the canvas that is soul music.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
And so as we accomplished.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
That, and he likes some of my songs, and those
songs kind of helped kind of catapult black pumas like colors.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
You know. It was, it was, it's been really amazing.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
But for this, the second album, there was way much
more you know, pressure. But you know, I was I
was raised in an artist's household, and I was always
taught to kind of genuinely be okay with expressing myself.
And thankfully the people have kind of.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Allowed it, you know. So it feels nice to be here.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
You haven't changed yet, not yet, not never, right, And
I guess I know you're still with an indie music label.
Oh yeah, record, But do you feel like this second album,
with the more anticipation and the undoubted success of the
first one, do you feel like that do you have
more resources now? Like, how is it actually affecting how
(12:34):
you make music for the second album?
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Well, when we did so well the first time around,
I kind of immediately learned that our team, which is
a great team, they were kind of relying on us
too for direction, and so that was like that came
as a really big surprise. While well it doesn't sound
super like a big deal, it came as a surprise
(12:58):
because I don't I don't know that we were for
sure as to what direction we wanted to go in.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So we just continued to be genuine, to continue to be.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Honest, and it's led us in some uh you know,
into some places that have been really new and very cool,
and we're still we're still like observing people's.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Reaction to it.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
So that's been like really nice, right, And you came
up kind of playing smaller gigs coming up and now
Radio City and this, you know, everything is really happening
for you. Like do you do you feel like you uh,
do you still go back to play small gigs? It's
the energy of that.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
All most definitely.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
So I'm lucky because I was busking before everybody hated me.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So what city were busking?
Speaker 5 (13:42):
I was busting in Santa Monica in Los Angeles, And
so I went from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas, where
there's a live show for anybody and everybody every single day.
So to be interjected in such a culture where the
artist is just embraced in the uncanny way. That really
opened my eyes to being able to play and not
(14:04):
having to pay to play, you know too, but being
able to play and really just integrate in the culture. So,
you know, we played Sea Boys, which is a smaller
venue shotgun club, and.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
If you'ed out that energy, obviously smaller everyone's there, you're
playing original music and you're killing it.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
And yes, but there's there's that sense that you know,
you you really have to work hard because we have
friends who come in there and you know, just in
the back like doing that thing.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
But you know you're playing, You're you're like trying to
prove yourself versus where your city where everyone's there.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
To most definitely, and I want to say, like briefly
that we were just very lucky just from the very
get go, Like as soon as I met Adrian Casata,
we had such a chemistry. Obviously, you know, I'm a
creative and an artist first, and it helped to be
with a partner who was just knowledgeable enough to kind
of help me find a container for.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
That musically and to then see the stage and in
such a real way. I used to be in theater.
I grew up acting, and so you know, it's not
that much different, there's you.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
Know, so so to be in that situation in Austin, Texas,
it was like the perfect place to cultivate the live
performative element.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Right, And I hood you recently went into a silent
meditation retreat.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
Yeah, most definitely. I discovered a pastna through through a
girlfriend of mine and change my world. I have done
the retreat twice.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's free. They fed me for free, they put me
up for free.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
What's the condition? You just have to for seven days?
Exactly exactly, so I should say it's a silent retreat.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I used it silent retreat. So it's a silent retreat.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
You get there, it's maybe one hundred students, five instructors,
and you learn the technique, which is really easy to learn,
is to shut up.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yes, just to be quiet, you know the technique. The
technique for that is a quiet skill. I guess these
days what happens if you don't shut up? Did they
like kick you out that? How do they kick you out?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
You can get kicked out? Yeah, for sure. So you
can get kicked out. But I I think that the
technique is to get you on a vehicle to the.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
Source of how and or where our subconscious mind is
reacting to, you know, our thoughts and things that might
have happened in the past. So to get to the
bottom of it, it's really technique to do.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
So, Yeah, that sounds horrible somehow, I'll never do that.
But chronicles All the Diamond is available now. Everybody in
a back room out.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Everybody Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe
by searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch The Daily Show week nights at eleven ten Central
on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount
Speaker 2 (16:47):
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