November 25, 2025 • 23 mins
Charlie Cook, the host of "Riding Shotgun with Charlie," discusses the origin of his popular podcast and video series, which he created after being inspired by Carpool Karaoke and blending his passion for guns with a new focus on video content. He shares his background as a musician, including opening for artists like Dolly Parton, and his long-time profession as a band teacher.
Charlie details the rapid growth of his show, highlighting a pivotal moment in 2016 when an interview with Mark Walters led to a feature on Armed American Radio and a speaking opportunity at the Gun Rights Policy Conference.
Beyond the show, Charlie teaches gun classes and creates viral "Gun Grams," where he plays the trumpet while shooting a firearm, showcasing his unique combination of talents. He also emphasizes the supportive nature of the gun community and outlines his goal to film an episode in every state.
Links:
Otis Technology (00:06.082): The podcast booth where the interview is being recorded.
Shot Show 2025 (00:06.082): The trade show where the interview is taking place.
Riding Shotgun with Charlie (00:30.933): Charlie Cook's video series and podcast.
Carpool Karaoke (01:00.672): The TV show that inspired "Riding Shotgun with Charlie."
Toastmasters (02:54.676): Organization where Charlie worked on his speaking and presenting skills.
USCCA magazines (03:59.049): Magazine where a guest's husband's story was featured.
Lessons from Unarmed America (04:08.575): Book by Rob Pinkus and Mark Walters.
Armed American Radio (04:22.052): Mark Walters' nationally syndicated radio show.
Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) (05:24.322): Conference where Charlie was invited to speak.
San Diego County Gun Owners (07:33.473): Group that hosted "Gun Prom."
Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) (09:34.673): Charlie interviewed its founder, Alan Gottlieb, at the headquarters.
YouTube (14:48.210): Where Charlie posts his "Gun Grams" videos.
TikTok (14:48.210): Platform that banned some of Charlie's "Gun Grams" videos.
Comedy Central's At Midnight (18:03.551): Game show that used one of Charlie's viral videos.
Gunstreamer (21:55.776): Platform where "Riding Shotgun with Charlie" is posted.
Rumble (21:55.776): Platform where "Riding Shotgun with Charlie" is posted.
Spotify, I Heart, Apple Podcasts (22:04.226): Platforms where the show's audio is available.
Armed Lifestyle Magazine (22:15.820): Magazine Charlie writes articles for, repurposing show content.
News 2A (22:20.150): Website out of New Jersey Charlie writes for.
Ammoland (22:28.851): Website that runs Charlie's show (requires him to write an accompanying article).
- GOA (Gun Owners of America) Goals (23:19.463): Event Charlie attended in Knoxville.
Key takeaways:
Niche Adaptation: A successful format from mainstream culture (like Carpool Karaoke) can be effectively adapted to a niche topic (like gun rights) to create unique content.
The Power of Networking: A single high-value connection (like Mark Walters) can rapidly accelerate a new content creator's platform and exposure.
Leverage Multiple Talents: Combining disparate
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:05):
Welcome to Amateurs and Experts Podcast.
We are already laughing in theOtis Technology booth here at
SHAT Show 2025.
Jessica's wiping tears from hereyes.
And it's only 912.
We're here with the hilariousCharlie Cook riding shotgun with
(00:26):
Charlie.
I'm so excited.
I was giddy when you said thatyou would come on our podcast.
SPEAKER_01 (00:32):
Well, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (00:37):
No, no.
I mean that we didn't we decidednot to do videos.
SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
Right.
I'm not saying anything.
I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_00 (00:45):
You are so hilarious.
Oh, well, thank you.
You've been across country, Imean, across the country.
SPEAKER_01 (00:50):
I'm working on it.
Yeah, working on it, working onit.
I filmed shows in 34 states sofar.
That's so cool.
SPEAKER_00 (00:56):
Yeah.
And you're just a guy with somecameras and a rental car and a
funny personality.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
So I had the idea for writing Shotgun after
watching uh Carpool karaoke.
SPEAKER_00 (01:08):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (01:09):
And I, you know, you see James Corden, and I'm like,
he's uh he's chubby and he'sEnglish, and and I'm chubby and
I speak English, so it should belike the connection shouldn't be
that hard.
Perfect.
Right.
And so um, I mean, you know, mymy background is uh I'm a
musician.
I I wanted to be a rock star,but again, fat kids that play
the trombone don't get to berock stars.
(01:29):
So playing for KISS was never anoption.
That was the dream.
SPEAKER_00 (01:34):
Getting quite the visual in my mind.
SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
Yeah, I know, right?
SPEAKER_00 (01:36):
Spandex.
Spandex P.
SPEAKER_01 (01:40):
Right, right.
The whole deal.
Big wig.
Um, so uh so I wanted to be, Iwanted to be a rock star and
been being a musician, spent 10years in a Motown disco funk
band.
Um back in my previous life, Ihad an opportunity to open for
Dolly Parton.
Oh, um, had an opportunity to uhwe opened for Ray Charles one
time.
We opened up by the time weopened up for Earth, Wind and
Fire, we couldn't hang out withthem.
So I'm like, well, who cares?
(02:01):
Like I can't, I can't first ofall, this is before, you know,
cell phones, so there's no nopictures of eviden any evidence
of this.
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
Well, pictures or it didn't happen.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:09):
So it's I can't really prove to my kids that I
met Dolly Parton.
Because I'm like, really, trustme, I met her in the early 90s.
Like, really.
So, so Polaroids.
Yeah, right.
We're gonna shake it.
Exactly.
Which when Dolly Parton startsshaking it, it's really not so
bad.
No.
But um, anyway, so I uh, youknow, wanted to be a rock star,
(02:30):
uh, end up being a band teacherfor a hundred years, and then um
Carpool karaoke comes out, andI'm like, look at this, this guy
gets to hang out with rockstars.
He's not really that funny,right?
It's all this fake baloney, oh,I'm gonna drive to work, oh,
look what I run into with theStarbucks, it's the Foo
Fighters.
Right, they're hanging out atStarbucks.
So that's that's kind of where Iget the idea from.
(02:51):
I'd uh I spent a bunch of yearsin Toastmasters working on my
speaking, presenting skills,gaining confidence in yourself,
leadership skills and stuff,yeah, which was really good.
And then I was working on amanual called Communicating on
Video.
And we had to interview someonefor five to seven, uh, be
interviewed by someone for fiveto seven minutes, do a press
conference, do a um uh aneditorial video editorial, and
(03:14):
then we had to make a littlevideo teaching people how to
become better speakers.
So when I was working on this, Ithis was 2016.
I'm like, you know what?
I'm gonna start a show and I'mgonna drive people around like
James Court, right?
And I was I was a gun instructorand a gun guy and stuff, and I'm
like, uh, I'm gonna talk to gunfolks.
So that's kind of how the wholething, uh, how I had the idea
(03:34):
for the whole thing.
And I interviewed some localfriends and gun folks and not
gun folks and whatever, get somereps in and pay some dues.
And I ended up um in 2016, Iinterviewed Anthony Calandro and
Ken Blanchard, the Reverend Ken.
Um these were the first guysthat I reached out to that were,
you know, outside ofMassachusetts, and they both
said yes to this.
(03:55):
And I'm like, this is great.
I interviewed, uh I reached outto this is bizarre bizarre, but
it was a friend, uh husband'sfriend, uh, this girl I used to
be friends with back in the 90s.
Uh, she her husband was robbedat gunpoint.
SPEAKER_00 (04:07):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01 (04:08):
And yeah, and his story was in uh it was in one of
the USCCA magazines, and RobPincus and Mark Walters wrote
about it in their book, Lessonsfrom Unarmed America.
And I don't know any of this.
This was like, I knew Pincus wasa deal.
I didn't know the radio show.
Like, you know, I messaged thisfriend of mine in Minneapolis,
and I'm like, hey, I'minterviewing people.
Uh I know your husband wasrobbed at gunpoint, I'd like to
(04:30):
talk about this, and you know,have him on my show.
So uh his name is Lee Williams.
He's uh uh he was a conservativetalk show host in Minneapolis.
So he's like, hey, if you comeout this particular weekend, I'm
gonna have Mark Walters here.
And Mark Walters is armedAmerican Radio, and I'm like,
oh, that's big time.
So I like to.
SPEAKER_00 (04:50):
Stars are lightning.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
Yeah, I totally I had two GoPro cameras.
Um, I went and picked up Mark atthe hotel, and I'm like, Lee
sent me to pick you up, and I'mgonna drive and interview you.
And he's like, All right, soundscool.
And then he's doing a uh radiobroadcast that night, and he's
like, hey man, that was reallycool.
You want to be on my nationallysyndicated radio show tonight?
Uh yes, I do.
Yes, yes, I do.
(05:12):
And then um, after we did thatshow, he called me the next day.
I don't know why how thisvoicemail got deleted because I
hang on to everything.
But um, he called me the nextday and he's like, dude, that
was really cool.
I'd like to help out with this.
And I'm like, awesome.
I I don't really know what thatmeans, but I'm gonna take it.
And um, lo and behold, two dayslater, he's like, Do you want to
(05:33):
speak at the gun rights policyconference?
Um, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (05:36):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
So that was in 2016.
Um, and I was on a panel ofpeople that use new media to
promote gun rights.
I'm like, I don't really knowwhat I'm doing here.
SPEAKER_00 (05:45):
Like, you've like I've I've done it for an hour
and now I'm here on a panel.
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
I don't know how to edit video.
I can't get the video tosynchronize.
I don't like it.
I don't even know they had anapp for that, you know.
So that's uh that's kind of howthings got going for me.
That's amazing.
Yeah, it's it's been cool.
And and you know, I if if Iwould have thought something was
gonna become of it, like I wouldhave picked a shorter name
rather than writing shotgun withCharlie, because it's kind of a
mouthful.
SPEAKER_00 (06:09):
No, but I think it flows well.
It does, and it is so fun.
It well, thank you.
Yes, I love watching it and whoyou have on.
And I know uh last year you hadDeb, the founder of, and she
said, Oh my gosh, that was sofun.
SPEAKER_01 (06:24):
You know, yeah, we're driving around the strep,
holy crow, mole, traffic's bad.
Yes, just it was so much fun.
SPEAKER_00 (06:30):
Probably a couple blocks is all you gotta do.
SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
Yeah, I really, exactly.
We're driving around the parkinglot.
SPEAKER_00 (06:35):
All right, well, thanks very much.
It's been 45 minutes.
Yeah, yeah.
Um, so as far as what's going onnow.
Uh it's I What state are yougonna conquer this year?
Oh man.
SPEAKER_01 (06:51):
So I haven't written my goals down for 2025 yet.
I know it's 2025, right?
I know.
I know.
We're almost at the end ofJanuary, Charlie.
When are you gonna get on it?
Probably by February.
Um, so the the one of the goalsfor me is to do a film show in
every state.
And uh, like I said, I'veknocked out 34 states so far.
I have uh four states east ofthe Mississippi, and then
(07:13):
everything else, wet like a lotof states west of the
Mississippi, like the bigstates.
SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
Are you coming to California?
SPEAKER_01 (07:19):
Um I don't know.
I would love to.
SPEAKER_00 (07:24):
But you know, I live in California.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Uh where?
SPEAKER_00 (07:26):
There are parts that are not on fire.
SPEAKER_01 (07:28):
Oh, wow.
There are, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (07:29):
What's left of it?
SPEAKER_01 (07:31):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (07:32):
I um we're part of uh like uh near Sacramento.
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
Oh, okay, cool.
I haven't been there.
So I've only been to San Diegotwice.
Uh I went in 2022, I went to GunProm, but that the San Diego
County gun owners did.
Oh.
And uh and that was pretty cool.
That was that was a lot of fun.
Um, and then uh I went lastSeptember for the gun rights
policy conference.
SPEAKER_00 (07:50):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (07:51):
And it was it was really cool to me because
everyone's like, ooh, you isyou're gonna go down to the
wall, you're gonna go to thewall.
And I'm like, there's a tributeto Pink Floyd?
I had no clue.
I had no clue they were huge inSan Diego.
SPEAKER_00 (08:03):
I wouldn't have put those together either.
SPEAKER_01 (08:04):
Right, no.
So then I'm like, um, what's thewall?
And they're like, the borderwall.
I'm like, oh, let's let's do it.
I'm gonna go.
So I interviewed, um uh Iinterviewed uh Desi Bergman.
She's like, let's go to CoronadoIsland to a beach that she plays
volleyball at.
I'm like, it sounds cool, man.
Let's do that.
And then I uh interviewed thisgentleman, his name is Mateus
(08:25):
Quellenberg, and uh he does uh Ithink it's a San Diego shooting
school, um, a San Diego firearmschool.
And uh we get in the car withhim and he's like, Well, where
are we gonna drive?
I'm like, dude, take me to thewall.
I want to go to the wall.
And right in front of the borderwall, there's a mall.
It's the it's the wall mall,right?
The wall mall.
The wall mall, yeah.
It's right before the wall.
(08:45):
And so we we got our pitch, wedrove down there, got our
pictures in front of the wall,and drove back.
SPEAKER_00 (08:51):
So you have been to California then?
SPEAKER_01 (08:53):
I have, yeah.
But look, I have not NorthernCalifornia, not yet.
SPEAKER_00 (08:57):
Okay, yeah, I mean there's potential in the future
for them to split Californiainto two states.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:02):
We can only hope.
SPEAKER_00 (09:04):
I can only hope, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (09:05):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (09:06):
Totally, totally.
Hey, so um there's severalpeople out there that um that
you would probably love to.
SPEAKER_01 (09:12):
I so one of one of the things that I do is when I
go someplace, I try to try toget as many interviews as I can.
And then when I and I'm I'mtelling everyone how the, you
know, uh whatever, how the thesausage is made here.
Um but it uh I'll I'll film abunch of shows when I go
someplace, and then I I don'tput them out in order because
there's no chronologicalsequence to things.
(09:34):
And then I uh in 2021 I put outseven months worth of material.
Like I put out two shows amonth, and then I ended up in
like well by March, I had 14shows to edit, right?
I went to California, I went toFlorida and I filmed five shows.
I had four shows already, andthen I went to um the Second
Amendment Foundationheadquarters and interviewed uh
(09:54):
Alan Gottley.
I get to drive Alan Gottlieb'sCorvette around.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, so I like I love this.
This is the completelyridiculous, but um you know we
have varying degrees of pro-gun.
You know, we have the secondamendment, some second amendment
butters, and then we have theshotgun.
I I like to say uh we have thepeople that want to hunt.
The people that want to huntdon't want to carry.
The people that want to carrydon't want to hunt, and nobody
(10:16):
knows what's going on with theshotgunners, right?
SPEAKER_00 (10:19):
So um well, if you come to California, I don't have
a Corvette, but you candefinitely drive my bed so well.
SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
So some people give me a hard time because I have to
borrow their car.
SPEAKER_00 (10:28):
I'll actually clean it.
Oh, bro, nice! She cleaned itfor us for SHAT show.
Yeah, excellent.
Yes, excellent.
Yeah, it's it's kind of theextension of my purse, and my
child likes to think that it'slike the fast food.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
That's awesome.
Yes.
But yeah, we I would love tohave you in.
I'd love to, yeah, that'd begreat.
Yeah.
Yeah, let's let's I would loveto make it happen.
SPEAKER_00 (10:54):
And then I'll tell all my friends and be like, oh
my gosh, let's let's and thenwe'll we'll actually hijack you.
Perfect.
And you'll be writing shotgunwith their pack.
SPEAKER_01 (11:07):
I love it.
I love it, I love it, I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
Oh my gosh, I'm so giddy about it.
We'll definitely have to makethat happen.
SPEAKER_01 (11:13):
Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (11:14):
You know, um, getting back to I think that
it's really cool, like Otis,right?
We bought two microphones and apodcast board.
SPEAKER_01 (11:23):
And it turned to two microphones, uh, two tables and
a microphone.
SPEAKER_00 (11:26):
Yeah, off of Amazon, and then and then they built us
a podcast booth.
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
This is amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (11:31):
I know.
And so, you know, just like howsomebody brought you and said,
hey, love what you're doing.
Yeah, let me help you.
SPEAKER_01 (11:38):
Yes, it's this is the thing with the gun
community.
Like everybody's everybody'svery helpful, everyone's very
encouraging.
It's not it's not the nonsensethat the anti-gun folks believe
like want us, want people tobelieve that they are, or that
we are.
SPEAKER_00 (11:52):
Yes, right?
SPEAKER_01 (11:53):
We're not bloodthirsty.
I mean, rarely are webloodthirsty murderers, but um
it's a lot of paperwork, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
You know we're not really in.
My nails get dirty, not reallyinto jail, or orange is not my
color.
SPEAKER_01 (12:08):
There's the show.
unknown (12:11):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_01 (12:13):
No desire to go on a cold toilet.
SPEAKER_00 (12:15):
No, I don't need two hots, two uh three hots in a
cot.
Right.
Although you do have plenty oftime to work out and play the
harmonica.
So right.
Well, in California, they givethey give you iPads.
Oh, there we go.
Yes, babysitters.
I heard federal prison inCalifornia is the is the word
the way to go.
SPEAKER_01 (12:34):
Oh, well, there we go.
If you have to go to if you haveto go to prison, it should be in
California.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
California.
Yes.
So what what else are you whatelse are you doing?
Because I know you just don't douh writing shotgun with Charlie.
SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
Don't blow my cover here.
Um so I uh I've been a guninstructor I uh since 2007.
And in 2010, I started teachingat a shooting school in central
Massachusetts.
Right.
And uh, you know, I would go inthere and I would do the
four-hour singing and dancingfor the uh CCW.
Yeah, and it's it was don't tellthe NRA this, but it was like a
(13:11):
bastardized version of the homefire and safety class.
Because it's it started off likethat, and then uh yeah, in
Massachusetts, they haveapproved curriculum that you
have to teach if you want to geta permit or a license to carry.
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
Yeah, 16 hours.
16 hours.
Oh my god.
unknown (13:25):
Crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (13:26):
So uh ours is only four hours, it's non-life
firing, they are changing all ofthis.
Oh wow, yeah, it's it's bad.
But um, I would sit there in theclass and I would uh I teach 20
people, and I know everyone paid100 bucks, and you know, my pay
was not a hundred bucks perperson.
So um there was a commercial foruh for a bank where everyone, if
you refer to friend, they giveyou a hundred bucks.
(13:47):
And in the commercial, like thisguy's walking down the road and
everyone's face turns intoBenjamin Franklin.
And and right, uh and I I wouldI would see this commercial and
I remember this, and I'mteaching a class, and I'm I'm
looking around, everyone lookslike Benjamin Franklin, and I'm
bringing one and a half BenjaminFranklin's home and giving 18
and a half to the boss.
So I'm like, yeah, I'm like, Ineed to become an instructor on
(14:08):
my own.
So about 2013, 2014, I startedteaching classes on my own.
So I I you know I became ainstructor, uh certified
instructor through the MassState Police, through the NRA.
Uh I can teach a bunch of thoseclasses, but nobody ever takes
personal protection inside thehome.
Um I did refuse to be a victim.
I did the uh saber pepper sprayclass, instructor for that.
(14:30):
I teach the Utah class too.
So um so I teach gun classes onthe sides, uh, you know, at
secondary income.
Um I make videos playing thetrumpet and shooting a gun at
the same time.
You do?
What?
SPEAKER_00 (14:43):
How did we not find that?
Wait, where do you post those?
SPEAKER_01 (14:48):
Those are on the YouTube.
I did get them kicked off ofTikTok, right?
Well, I no no surprise.
Right.
I I told them I told my kids Iwas too hot for the talk.
unknown (14:59):
Ops.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
Right.
Yeah, so but half the videos onTikTok would get banned, half of
them wouldn't.
And I'm like, this is reallystupid.
SPEAKER_00 (15:07):
Gosh, I didn't see that didn't come up.
What?
It did not come up.
It didn't come up?
No.
This is what you were gonna geton your shirt.
The picture of me with the gunand the trumpets.
Yes.
That's what I do.
But I would I just thought itwas a cool design.
SPEAKER_01 (15:23):
No, oh my god.
Girl, I nice job on yourresearch, ladies.
So I I call these uh I callthese gun grams.
And um I've been a I've been aband teacher for, you know, so I
tell my students since the1900s, and um I play the
trumpet.
Oh, thank you.
Uh being around mu uh kids andplaying music keeps me young.
(15:45):
So I'm only 107 so um I needyour skin routine.
Yeah, I know, right?
It's the Jack Daniels, and justsome.
SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
I've been using tequila.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Nice, perfect.
I'm sure it's the same effect.
SPEAKER_00 (16:00):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
So um, yeah, so I I've been a band teacher for a
long time.
And uh I play trumpet with I canplay trumpet with both hands,
all right, because it's the onlyinstrument you need, the only
instrument you can play that, oronly band instrument you can
play with one hand.
Like a flute, clarinet, saxphone needs two hands, trombone,
you need two hands.
So uh I played trumpet at schooland I would go over and point to
music and you know, move kids'hands to put them on the right
(16:23):
keys and play the drum parts andstuff with one hand.
So at one point I decided thatuh I had a friend of mine say to
me, he's like, you know,Charlie, when you when you talk
about your old gigging days, youget that little twinkle in your
eye.
And he says, when you talk aboutguns, you get that little
twinkle in your eye.
So you gotta find a way to putthe two of those together.
So um he's like, you should goout and do like bum-bada.
(16:47):
Right?
So I did that, I did that in2014.
I made that video.
I did the blue danube.
So if you look up trumpet glockduet, you'll find the blue
danube.
Okay, and then in 2015, I had afriend whose it was her son's
birthday, and um I did theplayed happy birthday and I shot
the cha-cha-cha that kid sang.
But I shot that with an AR.
So I got a trumpet in one handand holding an AR in the other.
(17:10):
And um, and I and yeah, and soin 2015, um, I had a lot of
friends that are like, oh mygod, dude, can you make one of
those for me?
And then that led to um, youknow, a bunch of versions of
Happy Birthday, but the IndianaJones theme and Star Wars, like
blah blah blah bum.
Ba ba ba boom, right?
So so that was really cool.
And then in 2015, uh I got aphone call or I got an email
(17:33):
from some television show, andthey're like, hey, we'd like to
um put some viral videos out,and we can we use yours?
I'm like, yeah, here's here'sthe Adams family, here's uh
here's Bob Marley's Three LittleBirds, and and you know, another
tune.
And that led to uh getting phonecalls from radio stations in
Jacksonville and Chicago and ElPaso.
And they're like, Do you wannado you wanna be on the radio
(17:54):
with somebody in El Paso, Texas?
Are you are you the guy thatplays the trumpet and shoots a
gun at the same time?
Yeah, I am.
Uh do you want to be on theradio in El Paso?
Yeah, I'd love to.
Right?
Yes.
So so that was kind of cool.
The the highlight was um ChrisHardwick used one on Comedy
Central for a little game showhe had called At Midnight.
And they don't reach out to you.
Like when they steal your stuff,they don't reach out to tell you
(18:16):
this.
SPEAKER_00 (18:17):
No, they don't.
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
No.
So a friend of mine was up attwo o'clock in the morning, you
know, watching TV, couldn'tsleep.
And then she told me the nextday, she's like, Oh my god,
dude, I saw you on TV.
I'm like, what?
And she's like, Yeah, you you'rethe only guy that plays a
trumpet and shoots a gun.
I'm like, where did you seethis?
SPEAKER_00 (18:31):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
So I I find this on Comedy Central, and I go to
school one day, right?
And these kids are like, uh,hey, Mr.
Cook, we saw your video onYouTube.
I'm like, uh, what video?
The Comedy Central one?
Yeah.
Like, we saw you shooting a gunand playing the trumpet.
I'm like, well, that seemsdangerous.
Why would someone do that?
(18:53):
No, uh, it's not me.
Like, she looks just like you.
I'm like, it is not me.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
It's totally not me.
SPEAKER_01 (18:58):
Right.
And they're like, dude, it'stotally, I'm like, all right,
listen, don't tell the secondgrade teacher because she's a
crazy woman.
SPEAKER_00 (19:04):
So And how old are these kids?
SPEAKER_01 (19:06):
Uh these kids were like in sixth grade.
SPEAKER_00 (19:10):
And they were up at midnight watching.
SPEAKER_01 (19:11):
No, no, they I well, it so it ended up being like the
27, like this particular day, itended up being like the number
27 trending video on YouTube.
SPEAKER_00 (19:19):
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
So it's got, I don't know, a couple million views.
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (19:23):
So is that your primary job then?
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
No, my.
Because you said teaching what'sgoing on.
Oh, teaching, teaching myprimary.
SPEAKER_00 (19:28):
I mean, or yeah, teaching teaching device.
SPEAKER_01 (19:30):
No, no, teaching band.
I teach band at Catholic school.
People like, so what do you do?
This is great too, because noone I keep my I really try to
keep my world separate, right?
But um, I'm taking a week off ofschool, and I I teach band at
Catholic schools, and and I justgo in like for a half day, and
then I go to another school forthe rest of the day, and then
the next day I go to another,you know, a third school, the
next day, the yeah, nextafternoon, a fourth school.
(19:52):
So I just go to every school,I'm like, oh, hey, listen, um, I
have an appointment next week,I'm not gonna be here.
And they're like, oh, okay.
I'm like, we'll make the lessonup.
They're like, okay.
I go to the next school, I say,hey, listen, not gonna be here
next week.
I gotta, you know, we're gonnachange the schedules.
They're like, oh, okay, soundscool.
I got an email from my boss.
He's like, hey, um, you put yourtimesheet in, but uh, there's
only one week rather than two.
(20:13):
I'm like, um, I'm at aconference.
He's like, oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (20:17):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
I'm I'm not feeling good.
Right.
The best one was this.
I was I was playing in a band umand we had a gig in Aruba.
And this was before caller ID,and before, you know, certainly
before everyone had a cellphone.
And uh I called in from a casinoin Aruba and did the whole, I
just need to cancel lessons.
unknown (20:34):
Click.
SPEAKER_01 (20:36):
Right?
All the oceans in thebackground.
Like Sino's ding, ding, ding,ding, ding, ding.
You just make your own.
unknown (20:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:44):
I have to make lessons up anyway, so if I gotta
make them up, I make them up.
unknown (20:47):
Whatever.
SPEAKER_00 (20:48):
Your life is amazing.
When I grow up, I want to bejust like you.
SPEAKER_01 (20:53):
It's the fine line between amazing and pathetic,
right?
I'm not sure, I'm not sure whichis.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
No, definitely not.
No.
SPEAKER_01 (20:58):
So this is I have a I I teach um post-COVID.
Um my my day job, I I teachthree days a week.
Um, and that's it.
That's three days a week.
I teach gun classes on the side.
I got a got a little YouTubechannel.
unknown (21:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:11):
And you're writing Shakavanjaro.
SPEAKER_01 (21:12):
And I'm writing Shakya Vachara.
This is what I do.
SPEAKER_00 (21:14):
Living your best life.
I really am.
SPEAKER_01 (21:17):
Yeah.
That's great.
Yeah.
I keep myself busy, keep myselfout of trouble.
SPEAKER_00 (21:21):
And bringing so much joy to others.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:23):
Oh, well, thank you.
I'm just I'm just trying to keepup.
That's all.
That's all I do.
SPEAKER_00 (21:29):
It's been great having you on the show.
If somebody wants to hang outwith you or uh learn how to call
in sick, or I'll be at Mo's,right?
I was thinking more of theCheers Bar.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (21:44):
No, I'll be at Cheers.
I walk in, every everyone's likeCharlie.
One person, Charles?
SPEAKER_00 (21:51):
That's from the Catholic school, right?
How do you how do they find you?
On YouTube?
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
On so writing shotguns.
Um The writing shocking withCharlies are on YouTube.
I've got a YouTube channelthere.
I've got one on Gunstreamer.
I've got one on Rumble.
I put the audio out as apodcast.
So you can find that on Spotifyand iHeart and Apple Podcasts.
The um I repurpose shows forArmed Lifestyle Magazine.
So I go back and interview somepeople, re-interview people and
(22:18):
put a put a kind of 1800,2000-word article about that, an
Armed Lifestyle magazine.
I also write for a website outof New Jersey called News2A.
Okay.
And uh Amoland.
Uh this was great.
So 2019, 2019, I got the Bloggerof the Year Award at the Gun
Rights Policy Conference.
So I ran around for two days.
I'm like, blogger of the year?
Didn't write a word.
(22:40):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (22:41):
Thank you for the award.
SPEAKER_01 (22:42):
I know, this is great.
Blogger of the Year, don't writeany words.
So I talked to uh I talked tothe guys at Ammo Land.
I'm like, hey, would you guys beinterested in running my show?
They're like, yeah, you gottawrite 600 words.
I'm like, oh.
SPEAKER_00 (22:51):
Like, am I back at school?
SPEAKER_01 (22:52):
Right.
It's now at homework.
It really is.
It really is.
SPEAKER_00 (22:55):
Chat GPT.
SPEAKER_01 (22:57):
Transcribe this interview.
So uh so yeah, so that's when Istarted writing uh writing show
you know better showdescriptions, and then um
Amoland runs the show too.
So I I try to be everywhere, youknow.
I um I've been coming to SHATShow for a number of years now.
I've been I've been going to thegun rights policy conference.
Uh I've been a speaker there.
Um this past year they theyasked me to MC one day, so that
(23:19):
was pretty fun.
And uh what else?
I've been going to the NRAannual meetings.
Uh I went to the GOA's goals inKnoxville, so that was pretty
cool.
So I'm just trying to keep upwith everybody else, man, so I
can be cool.
Uh yeah, on the plane.
To and from.
Right.
To and from.
Yeah.
Usually my music lessons, too.
SPEAKER_00 (23:36):
But uh you go tell anybody.
SPEAKER_01 (23:37):
Yeah, I know.
I'm just trying to keep up withyou guys so I so I can have a
booth where somebody says, hey,listen, can you want a booth?
I'm like, uh I don't want tostay stable.
Like, I want to be on the move.
SPEAKER_00 (23:46):
I know.
That's so cool.
unknown (23:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:48):
Anyway, thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
The pleasure was mine.
Thank you very much.
Have a great show.
Thanks for too.
Welcome to Amateurs and Experts Podcast.
We are already laughing in theOtis Technology booth here at
SHAT Show 2025.
Jessica's wiping tears from hereyes.
And it's only 912.
We're here with the hilariousCharlie Cook riding shotgun with
(00:26):
Charlie.
I'm so excited.
I was giddy when you said thatyou would come on our podcast.
SPEAKER_01 (00:32):
Well, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (00:37):
No, no.
I mean that we didn't we decidednot to do videos.
SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
Right.
I'm not saying anything.
I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_00 (00:45):
You are so hilarious.
Oh, well, thank you.
You've been across country, Imean, across the country.
SPEAKER_01 (00:50):
I'm working on it.
Yeah, working on it, working onit.
I filmed shows in 34 states sofar.
That's so cool.
SPEAKER_00 (00:56):
Yeah.
And you're just a guy with somecameras and a rental car and a
funny personality.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
So I had the idea for writing Shotgun after
watching uh Carpool karaoke.
SPEAKER_00 (01:08):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (01:09):
And I, you know, you see James Corden, and I'm like,
he's uh he's chubby and he'sEnglish, and and I'm chubby and
I speak English, so it should belike the connection shouldn't be
that hard.
Perfect.
Right.
And so um, I mean, you know, mymy background is uh I'm a
musician.
I I wanted to be a rock star,but again, fat kids that play
the trombone don't get to berock stars.
(01:29):
So playing for KISS was never anoption.
That was the dream.
SPEAKER_00 (01:34):
Getting quite the visual in my mind.
SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
Yeah, I know, right?
SPEAKER_00 (01:36):
Spandex.
Spandex P.
SPEAKER_01 (01:40):
Right, right.
The whole deal.
Big wig.
Um, so uh so I wanted to be, Iwanted to be a rock star and
been being a musician, spent 10years in a Motown disco funk
band.
Um back in my previous life, Ihad an opportunity to open for
Dolly Parton.
Oh, um, had an opportunity to uhwe opened for Ray Charles one
time.
We opened up by the time weopened up for Earth, Wind and
Fire, we couldn't hang out withthem.
So I'm like, well, who cares?
(02:01):
Like I can't, I can't first ofall, this is before, you know,
cell phones, so there's no nopictures of eviden any evidence
of this.
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
Well, pictures or it didn't happen.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:09):
So it's I can't really prove to my kids that I
met Dolly Parton.
Because I'm like, really, trustme, I met her in the early 90s.
Like, really.
So, so Polaroids.
Yeah, right.
We're gonna shake it.
Exactly.
Which when Dolly Parton startsshaking it, it's really not so
bad.
No.
But um, anyway, so I uh, youknow, wanted to be a rock star,
(02:30):
uh, end up being a band teacherfor a hundred years, and then um
Carpool karaoke comes out, andI'm like, look at this, this guy
gets to hang out with rockstars.
He's not really that funny,right?
It's all this fake baloney, oh,I'm gonna drive to work, oh,
look what I run into with theStarbucks, it's the Foo
Fighters.
Right, they're hanging out atStarbucks.
So that's that's kind of where Iget the idea from.
(02:51):
I'd uh I spent a bunch of yearsin Toastmasters working on my
speaking, presenting skills,gaining confidence in yourself,
leadership skills and stuff,yeah, which was really good.
And then I was working on amanual called Communicating on
Video.
And we had to interview someonefor five to seven, uh, be
interviewed by someone for fiveto seven minutes, do a press
conference, do a um uh aneditorial video editorial, and
(03:14):
then we had to make a littlevideo teaching people how to
become better speakers.
So when I was working on this, Ithis was 2016.
I'm like, you know what?
I'm gonna start a show and I'mgonna drive people around like
James Court, right?
And I was I was a gun instructorand a gun guy and stuff, and I'm
like, uh, I'm gonna talk to gunfolks.
So that's kind of how the wholething, uh, how I had the idea
(03:34):
for the whole thing.
And I interviewed some localfriends and gun folks and not
gun folks and whatever, get somereps in and pay some dues.
And I ended up um in 2016, Iinterviewed Anthony Calandro and
Ken Blanchard, the Reverend Ken.
Um these were the first guysthat I reached out to that were,
you know, outside ofMassachusetts, and they both
said yes to this.
(03:55):
And I'm like, this is great.
I interviewed, uh I reached outto this is bizarre bizarre, but
it was a friend, uh husband'sfriend, uh, this girl I used to
be friends with back in the 90s.
Uh, she her husband was robbedat gunpoint.
SPEAKER_00 (04:07):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01 (04:08):
And yeah, and his story was in uh it was in one of
the USCCA magazines, and RobPincus and Mark Walters wrote
about it in their book, Lessonsfrom Unarmed America.
And I don't know any of this.
This was like, I knew Pincus wasa deal.
I didn't know the radio show.
Like, you know, I messaged thisfriend of mine in Minneapolis,
and I'm like, hey, I'minterviewing people.
Uh I know your husband wasrobbed at gunpoint, I'd like to
(04:30):
talk about this, and you know,have him on my show.
So uh his name is Lee Williams.
He's uh uh he was a conservativetalk show host in Minneapolis.
So he's like, hey, if you comeout this particular weekend, I'm
gonna have Mark Walters here.
And Mark Walters is armedAmerican Radio, and I'm like,
oh, that's big time.
So I like to.
SPEAKER_00 (04:50):
Stars are lightning.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
Yeah, I totally I had two GoPro cameras.
Um, I went and picked up Mark atthe hotel, and I'm like, Lee
sent me to pick you up, and I'mgonna drive and interview you.
And he's like, All right, soundscool.
And then he's doing a uh radiobroadcast that night, and he's
like, hey man, that was reallycool.
You want to be on my nationallysyndicated radio show tonight?
Uh yes, I do.
Yes, yes, I do.
(05:12):
And then um, after we did thatshow, he called me the next day.
I don't know why how thisvoicemail got deleted because I
hang on to everything.
But um, he called me the nextday and he's like, dude, that
was really cool.
I'd like to help out with this.
And I'm like, awesome.
I I don't really know what thatmeans, but I'm gonna take it.
And um, lo and behold, two dayslater, he's like, Do you want to
(05:33):
speak at the gun rights policyconference?
Um, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (05:36):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
So that was in 2016.
Um, and I was on a panel ofpeople that use new media to
promote gun rights.
I'm like, I don't really knowwhat I'm doing here.
SPEAKER_00 (05:45):
Like, you've like I've I've done it for an hour
and now I'm here on a panel.
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
I don't know how to edit video.
I can't get the video tosynchronize.
I don't like it.
I don't even know they had anapp for that, you know.
So that's uh that's kind of howthings got going for me.
That's amazing.
Yeah, it's it's been cool.
And and you know, I if if Iwould have thought something was
gonna become of it, like I wouldhave picked a shorter name
rather than writing shotgun withCharlie, because it's kind of a
mouthful.
SPEAKER_00 (06:09):
No, but I think it flows well.
It does, and it is so fun.
It well, thank you.
Yes, I love watching it and whoyou have on.
And I know uh last year you hadDeb, the founder of, and she
said, Oh my gosh, that was sofun.
SPEAKER_01 (06:24):
You know, yeah, we're driving around the strep,
holy crow, mole, traffic's bad.
Yes, just it was so much fun.
SPEAKER_00 (06:30):
Probably a couple blocks is all you gotta do.
SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
Yeah, I really, exactly.
We're driving around the parkinglot.
SPEAKER_00 (06:35):
All right, well, thanks very much.
It's been 45 minutes.
Yeah, yeah.
Um, so as far as what's going onnow.
Uh it's I What state are yougonna conquer this year?
Oh man.
SPEAKER_01 (06:51):
So I haven't written my goals down for 2025 yet.
I know it's 2025, right?
I know.
I know.
We're almost at the end ofJanuary, Charlie.
When are you gonna get on it?
Probably by February.
Um, so the the one of the goalsfor me is to do a film show in
every state.
And uh, like I said, I'veknocked out 34 states so far.
I have uh four states east ofthe Mississippi, and then
(07:13):
everything else, wet like a lotof states west of the
Mississippi, like the bigstates.
SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
Are you coming to California?
SPEAKER_01 (07:19):
Um I don't know.
I would love to.
SPEAKER_00 (07:24):
But you know, I live in California.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Uh where?
SPEAKER_00 (07:26):
There are parts that are not on fire.
SPEAKER_01 (07:28):
Oh, wow.
There are, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (07:29):
What's left of it?
SPEAKER_01 (07:31):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (07:32):
I um we're part of uh like uh near Sacramento.
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
Oh, okay, cool.
I haven't been there.
So I've only been to San Diegotwice.
Uh I went in 2022, I went to GunProm, but that the San Diego
County gun owners did.
Oh.
And uh and that was pretty cool.
That was that was a lot of fun.
Um, and then uh I went lastSeptember for the gun rights
policy conference.
SPEAKER_00 (07:50):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (07:51):
And it was it was really cool to me because
everyone's like, ooh, you isyou're gonna go down to the
wall, you're gonna go to thewall.
And I'm like, there's a tributeto Pink Floyd?
I had no clue.
I had no clue they were huge inSan Diego.
SPEAKER_00 (08:03):
I wouldn't have put those together either.
SPEAKER_01 (08:04):
Right, no.
So then I'm like, um, what's thewall?
And they're like, the borderwall.
I'm like, oh, let's let's do it.
I'm gonna go.
So I interviewed, um uh Iinterviewed uh Desi Bergman.
She's like, let's go to CoronadoIsland to a beach that she plays
volleyball at.
I'm like, it sounds cool, man.
Let's do that.
And then I uh interviewed thisgentleman, his name is Mateus
(08:25):
Quellenberg, and uh he does uh Ithink it's a San Diego shooting
school, um, a San Diego firearmschool.
And uh we get in the car withhim and he's like, Well, where
are we gonna drive?
I'm like, dude, take me to thewall.
I want to go to the wall.
And right in front of the borderwall, there's a mall.
It's the it's the wall mall,right?
The wall mall.
The wall mall, yeah.
It's right before the wall.
(08:45):
And so we we got our pitch, wedrove down there, got our
pictures in front of the wall,and drove back.
SPEAKER_00 (08:51):
So you have been to California then?
SPEAKER_01 (08:53):
I have, yeah.
But look, I have not NorthernCalifornia, not yet.
SPEAKER_00 (08:57):
Okay, yeah, I mean there's potential in the future
for them to split Californiainto two states.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:02):
We can only hope.
SPEAKER_00 (09:04):
I can only hope, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (09:05):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (09:06):
Totally, totally.
Hey, so um there's severalpeople out there that um that
you would probably love to.
SPEAKER_01 (09:12):
I so one of one of the things that I do is when I
go someplace, I try to try toget as many interviews as I can.
And then when I and I'm I'mtelling everyone how the, you
know, uh whatever, how the thesausage is made here.
Um but it uh I'll I'll film abunch of shows when I go
someplace, and then I I don'tput them out in order because
there's no chronologicalsequence to things.
(09:34):
And then I uh in 2021 I put outseven months worth of material.
Like I put out two shows amonth, and then I ended up in
like well by March, I had 14shows to edit, right?
I went to California, I went toFlorida and I filmed five shows.
I had four shows already, andthen I went to um the Second
Amendment Foundationheadquarters and interviewed uh
(09:54):
Alan Gottley.
I get to drive Alan Gottlieb'sCorvette around.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, so I like I love this.
This is the completelyridiculous, but um you know we
have varying degrees of pro-gun.
You know, we have the secondamendment, some second amendment
butters, and then we have theshotgun.
I I like to say uh we have thepeople that want to hunt.
The people that want to huntdon't want to carry.
The people that want to carrydon't want to hunt, and nobody
(10:16):
knows what's going on with theshotgunners, right?
SPEAKER_00 (10:19):
So um well, if you come to California, I don't have
a Corvette, but you candefinitely drive my bed so well.
SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
So some people give me a hard time because I have to
borrow their car.
SPEAKER_00 (10:28):
I'll actually clean it.
Oh, bro, nice! She cleaned itfor us for SHAT show.
Yeah, excellent.
Yes, excellent.
Yeah, it's it's kind of theextension of my purse, and my
child likes to think that it'slike the fast food.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
That's awesome.
Yes.
But yeah, we I would love tohave you in.
I'd love to, yeah, that'd begreat.
Yeah.
Yeah, let's let's I would loveto make it happen.
SPEAKER_00 (10:54):
And then I'll tell all my friends and be like, oh
my gosh, let's let's and thenwe'll we'll actually hijack you.
Perfect.
And you'll be writing shotgunwith their pack.
SPEAKER_01 (11:07):
I love it.
I love it, I love it, I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
Oh my gosh, I'm so giddy about it.
We'll definitely have to makethat happen.
SPEAKER_01 (11:13):
Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (11:14):
You know, um, getting back to I think that
it's really cool, like Otis,right?
We bought two microphones and apodcast board.
SPEAKER_01 (11:23):
And it turned to two microphones, uh, two tables and
a microphone.
SPEAKER_00 (11:26):
Yeah, off of Amazon, and then and then they built us
a podcast booth.
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
This is amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (11:31):
I know.
And so, you know, just like howsomebody brought you and said,
hey, love what you're doing.
Yeah, let me help you.
SPEAKER_01 (11:38):
Yes, it's this is the thing with the gun
community.
Like everybody's everybody'svery helpful, everyone's very
encouraging.
It's not it's not the nonsensethat the anti-gun folks believe
like want us, want people tobelieve that they are, or that
we are.
SPEAKER_00 (11:52):
Yes, right?
SPEAKER_01 (11:53):
We're not bloodthirsty.
I mean, rarely are webloodthirsty murderers, but um
it's a lot of paperwork, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
You know we're not really in.
My nails get dirty, not reallyinto jail, or orange is not my
color.
SPEAKER_01 (12:08):
There's the show.
unknown (12:11):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_01 (12:13):
No desire to go on a cold toilet.
SPEAKER_00 (12:15):
No, I don't need two hots, two uh three hots in a
cot.
Right.
Although you do have plenty oftime to work out and play the
harmonica.
So right.
Well, in California, they givethey give you iPads.
Oh, there we go.
Yes, babysitters.
I heard federal prison inCalifornia is the is the word
the way to go.
SPEAKER_01 (12:34):
Oh, well, there we go.
If you have to go to if you haveto go to prison, it should be in
California.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
California.
Yes.
So what what else are you whatelse are you doing?
Because I know you just don't douh writing shotgun with Charlie.
SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
Don't blow my cover here.
Um so I uh I've been a guninstructor I uh since 2007.
And in 2010, I started teachingat a shooting school in central
Massachusetts.
Right.
And uh, you know, I would go inthere and I would do the
four-hour singing and dancingfor the uh CCW.
Yeah, and it's it was don't tellthe NRA this, but it was like a
(13:11):
bastardized version of the homefire and safety class.
Because it's it started off likethat, and then uh yeah, in
Massachusetts, they haveapproved curriculum that you
have to teach if you want to geta permit or a license to carry.
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
Yeah, 16 hours.
16 hours.
Oh my god.
unknown (13:25):
Crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (13:26):
So uh ours is only four hours, it's non-life
firing, they are changing all ofthis.
Oh wow, yeah, it's it's bad.
But um, I would sit there in theclass and I would uh I teach 20
people, and I know everyone paid100 bucks, and you know, my pay
was not a hundred bucks perperson.
So um there was a commercial foruh for a bank where everyone, if
you refer to friend, they giveyou a hundred bucks.
(13:47):
And in the commercial, like thisguy's walking down the road and
everyone's face turns intoBenjamin Franklin.
And and right, uh and I I wouldI would see this commercial and
I remember this, and I'mteaching a class, and I'm I'm
looking around, everyone lookslike Benjamin Franklin, and I'm
bringing one and a half BenjaminFranklin's home and giving 18
and a half to the boss.
So I'm like, yeah, I'm like, Ineed to become an instructor on
(14:08):
my own.
So about 2013, 2014, I startedteaching classes on my own.
So I I you know I became ainstructor, uh certified
instructor through the MassState Police, through the NRA.
Uh I can teach a bunch of thoseclasses, but nobody ever takes
personal protection inside thehome.
Um I did refuse to be a victim.
I did the uh saber pepper sprayclass, instructor for that.
(14:30):
I teach the Utah class too.
So um so I teach gun classes onthe sides, uh, you know, at
secondary income.
Um I make videos playing thetrumpet and shooting a gun at
the same time.
You do?
What?
SPEAKER_00 (14:43):
How did we not find that?
Wait, where do you post those?
SPEAKER_01 (14:48):
Those are on the YouTube.
I did get them kicked off ofTikTok, right?
Well, I no no surprise.
Right.
I I told them I told my kids Iwas too hot for the talk.
unknown (14:59):
Ops.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
Right.
Yeah, so but half the videos onTikTok would get banned, half of
them wouldn't.
And I'm like, this is reallystupid.
SPEAKER_00 (15:07):
Gosh, I didn't see that didn't come up.
What?
It did not come up.
It didn't come up?
No.
This is what you were gonna geton your shirt.
The picture of me with the gunand the trumpets.
Yes.
That's what I do.
But I would I just thought itwas a cool design.
SPEAKER_01 (15:23):
No, oh my god.
Girl, I nice job on yourresearch, ladies.
So I I call these uh I callthese gun grams.
And um I've been a I've been aband teacher for, you know, so I
tell my students since the1900s, and um I play the
trumpet.
Oh, thank you.
Uh being around mu uh kids andplaying music keeps me young.
(15:45):
So I'm only 107 so um I needyour skin routine.
Yeah, I know, right?
It's the Jack Daniels, and justsome.
SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
I've been using tequila.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Nice, perfect.
I'm sure it's the same effect.
SPEAKER_00 (16:00):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
So um, yeah, so I I've been a band teacher for a
long time.
And uh I play trumpet with I canplay trumpet with both hands,
all right, because it's the onlyinstrument you need, the only
instrument you can play that, oronly band instrument you can
play with one hand.
Like a flute, clarinet, saxphone needs two hands, trombone,
you need two hands.
So uh I played trumpet at schooland I would go over and point to
music and you know, move kids'hands to put them on the right
(16:23):
keys and play the drum parts andstuff with one hand.
So at one point I decided thatuh I had a friend of mine say to
me, he's like, you know,Charlie, when you when you talk
about your old gigging days, youget that little twinkle in your
eye.
And he says, when you talk aboutguns, you get that little
twinkle in your eye.
So you gotta find a way to putthe two of those together.
So um he's like, you should goout and do like bum-bada.
(16:47):
Right?
So I did that, I did that in2014.
I made that video.
I did the blue danube.
So if you look up trumpet glockduet, you'll find the blue
danube.
Okay, and then in 2015, I had afriend whose it was her son's
birthday, and um I did theplayed happy birthday and I shot
the cha-cha-cha that kid sang.
But I shot that with an AR.
So I got a trumpet in one handand holding an AR in the other.
(17:10):
And um, and I and yeah, and soin 2015, um, I had a lot of
friends that are like, oh mygod, dude, can you make one of
those for me?
And then that led to um, youknow, a bunch of versions of
Happy Birthday, but the IndianaJones theme and Star Wars, like
blah blah blah bum.
Ba ba ba boom, right?
So so that was really cool.
And then in 2015, uh I got aphone call or I got an email
(17:33):
from some television show, andthey're like, hey, we'd like to
um put some viral videos out,and we can we use yours?
I'm like, yeah, here's here'sthe Adams family, here's uh
here's Bob Marley's Three LittleBirds, and and you know, another
tune.
And that led to uh getting phonecalls from radio stations in
Jacksonville and Chicago and ElPaso.
And they're like, Do you wannado you wanna be on the radio
(17:54):
with somebody in El Paso, Texas?
Are you are you the guy thatplays the trumpet and shoots a
gun at the same time?
Yeah, I am.
Uh do you want to be on theradio in El Paso?
Yeah, I'd love to.
Right?
Yes.
So so that was kind of cool.
The the highlight was um ChrisHardwick used one on Comedy
Central for a little game showhe had called At Midnight.
And they don't reach out to you.
Like when they steal your stuff,they don't reach out to tell you
(18:16):
this.
SPEAKER_00 (18:17):
No, they don't.
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
No.
So a friend of mine was up attwo o'clock in the morning, you
know, watching TV, couldn'tsleep.
And then she told me the nextday, she's like, Oh my god,
dude, I saw you on TV.
I'm like, what?
And she's like, Yeah, you you'rethe only guy that plays a
trumpet and shoots a gun.
I'm like, where did you seethis?
SPEAKER_00 (18:31):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
So I I find this on Comedy Central, and I go to
school one day, right?
And these kids are like, uh,hey, Mr.
Cook, we saw your video onYouTube.
I'm like, uh, what video?
The Comedy Central one?
Yeah.
Like, we saw you shooting a gunand playing the trumpet.
I'm like, well, that seemsdangerous.
Why would someone do that?
(18:53):
No, uh, it's not me.
Like, she looks just like you.
I'm like, it is not me.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
It's totally not me.
SPEAKER_01 (18:58):
Right.
And they're like, dude, it'stotally, I'm like, all right,
listen, don't tell the secondgrade teacher because she's a
crazy woman.
SPEAKER_00 (19:04):
So And how old are these kids?
SPEAKER_01 (19:06):
Uh these kids were like in sixth grade.
SPEAKER_00 (19:10):
And they were up at midnight watching.
SPEAKER_01 (19:11):
No, no, they I well, it so it ended up being like the
27, like this particular day, itended up being like the number
27 trending video on YouTube.
SPEAKER_00 (19:19):
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
So it's got, I don't know, a couple million views.
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (19:23):
So is that your primary job then?
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
No, my.
Because you said teaching what'sgoing on.
Oh, teaching, teaching myprimary.
SPEAKER_00 (19:28):
I mean, or yeah, teaching teaching device.
SPEAKER_01 (19:30):
No, no, teaching band.
I teach band at Catholic school.
People like, so what do you do?
This is great too, because noone I keep my I really try to
keep my world separate, right?
But um, I'm taking a week off ofschool, and I I teach band at
Catholic schools, and and I justgo in like for a half day, and
then I go to another school forthe rest of the day, and then
the next day I go to another,you know, a third school, the
next day, the yeah, nextafternoon, a fourth school.
(19:52):
So I just go to every school,I'm like, oh, hey, listen, um, I
have an appointment next week,I'm not gonna be here.
And they're like, oh, okay.
I'm like, we'll make the lessonup.
They're like, okay.
I go to the next school, I say,hey, listen, not gonna be here
next week.
I gotta, you know, we're gonnachange the schedules.
They're like, oh, okay, soundscool.
I got an email from my boss.
He's like, hey, um, you put yourtimesheet in, but uh, there's
only one week rather than two.
(20:13):
I'm like, um, I'm at aconference.
He's like, oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (20:17):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
I'm I'm not feeling good.
Right.
The best one was this.
I was I was playing in a band umand we had a gig in Aruba.
And this was before caller ID,and before, you know, certainly
before everyone had a cellphone.
And uh I called in from a casinoin Aruba and did the whole, I
just need to cancel lessons.
unknown (20:34):
Click.
SPEAKER_01 (20:36):
Right?
All the oceans in thebackground.
Like Sino's ding, ding, ding,ding, ding, ding.
You just make your own.
unknown (20:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:44):
I have to make lessons up anyway, so if I gotta
make them up, I make them up.
unknown (20:47):
Whatever.
SPEAKER_00 (20:48):
Your life is amazing.
When I grow up, I want to bejust like you.
SPEAKER_01 (20:53):
It's the fine line between amazing and pathetic,
right?
I'm not sure, I'm not sure whichis.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
No, definitely not.
No.
SPEAKER_01 (20:58):
So this is I have a I I teach um post-COVID.
Um my my day job, I I teachthree days a week.
Um, and that's it.
That's three days a week.
I teach gun classes on the side.
I got a got a little YouTubechannel.
unknown (21:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:11):
And you're writing Shakavanjaro.
SPEAKER_01 (21:12):
And I'm writing Shakya Vachara.
This is what I do.
SPEAKER_00 (21:14):
Living your best life.
I really am.
SPEAKER_01 (21:17):
Yeah.
That's great.
Yeah.
I keep myself busy, keep myselfout of trouble.
SPEAKER_00 (21:21):
And bringing so much joy to others.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:23):
Oh, well, thank you.
I'm just I'm just trying to keepup.
That's all.
That's all I do.
SPEAKER_00 (21:29):
It's been great having you on the show.
If somebody wants to hang outwith you or uh learn how to call
in sick, or I'll be at Mo's,right?
I was thinking more of theCheers Bar.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (21:44):
No, I'll be at Cheers.
I walk in, every everyone's likeCharlie.
One person, Charles?
SPEAKER_00 (21:51):
That's from the Catholic school, right?
How do you how do they find you?
On YouTube?
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
On so writing shotguns.
Um The writing shocking withCharlies are on YouTube.
I've got a YouTube channelthere.
I've got one on Gunstreamer.
I've got one on Rumble.
I put the audio out as apodcast.
So you can find that on Spotifyand iHeart and Apple Podcasts.
The um I repurpose shows forArmed Lifestyle Magazine.
So I go back and interview somepeople, re-interview people and
(22:18):
put a put a kind of 1800,2000-word article about that, an
Armed Lifestyle magazine.
I also write for a website outof New Jersey called News2A.
Okay.
And uh Amoland.
Uh this was great.
So 2019, 2019, I got the Bloggerof the Year Award at the Gun
Rights Policy Conference.
So I ran around for two days.
I'm like, blogger of the year?
Didn't write a word.
(22:40):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (22:41):
Thank you for the award.
SPEAKER_01 (22:42):
I know, this is great.
Blogger of the Year, don't writeany words.
So I talked to uh I talked tothe guys at Ammo Land.
I'm like, hey, would you guys beinterested in running my show?
They're like, yeah, you gottawrite 600 words.
I'm like, oh.
SPEAKER_00 (22:51):
Like, am I back at school?
SPEAKER_01 (22:52):
Right.
It's now at homework.
It really is.
It really is.
SPEAKER_00 (22:55):
Chat GPT.
SPEAKER_01 (22:57):
Transcribe this interview.
So uh so yeah, so that's when Istarted writing uh writing show
you know better showdescriptions, and then um
Amoland runs the show too.
So I I try to be everywhere, youknow.
I um I've been coming to SHATShow for a number of years now.
I've been I've been going to thegun rights policy conference.
Uh I've been a speaker there.
Um this past year they theyasked me to MC one day, so that
(23:19):
was pretty fun.
And uh what else?
I've been going to the NRAannual meetings.
Uh I went to the GOA's goals inKnoxville, so that was pretty
cool.
So I'm just trying to keep upwith everybody else, man, so I
can be cool.
Uh yeah, on the plane.
To and from.
Right.
To and from.
Yeah.
Usually my music lessons, too.
SPEAKER_00 (23:36):
But uh you go tell anybody.
SPEAKER_01 (23:37):
Yeah, I know.
I'm just trying to keep up withyou guys so I so I can have a
booth where somebody says, hey,listen, can you want a booth?
I'm like, uh I don't want tostay stable.
Like, I want to be on the move.
SPEAKER_00 (23:46):
I know.
That's so cool.
unknown (23:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:48):
Anyway, thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
The pleasure was mine.
Thank you very much.
Have a great show.
Thanks for too.
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