Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rolling Stone talk to I think his name is Gabe
del Porto, the CEO of Guitar Center, about the joke
that everybody plays Stairway to Heaven like in Wayne's world
when they are trying out instruments in the store, everyone's
got to go to riff or song that they play
just to hear the sound and tone of the instrument.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
At Guitar Center, Yeah, oh have you e to know that? No,
Like I didn't.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I mean I would assume that if you had, like
an acoustic guitar, you'd play it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
But not an electric.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Oh yeah, you're allowed to plug in, Are you really?
You're gonna spend hundreds thousands of dollars and not hear the.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
But is it like is it like a car though,
where it's like you can't just go in there and
play a guitar.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
You have to go in there like you're test driving
a car.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
No.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I used to go in all the time with my
friends in my band, and we just played instruments.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You could just go in there and play any instrument.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And only over the course of the five years we
were a band, bought one instrument.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
So I kept buying even know how to play guitar,
but I could go in there and try well.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Gabe pointed out in the interview that there are some
people who are quite good, and usually those go viral
because you see, like there'll be two people playing at
the same time. Some may be setups whatever, but they
start jamming together at a guitar set, at a guitar senter.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I had no idea. Did you know you could play
get instruments in there?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Now?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I mean, I guess it does make.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Sense guitar center person.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
No, neither of mine, But I guess that does make
sense that if I was going to buy, what are
you doing?
Speaker 6 (01:31):
I I don't know. If I assume we have to listen,
I cannot. These jacks are all messed up.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh put in a ticket.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
No, not yet, because we want other stuff to get fixed.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I didn't put the ticket in for the headphone jacks because.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
If anybody put the ticket in for the higher priority stuff,
the echoing commercials.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
You know what. I'm in control of my own reactions.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Ayanna, I can.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
Go back in my booth and listen if we have
to listen.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Oh, that's true, she can.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, So go back in there, I'm saying, go back
in there. What am I listening for? Well?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Gabe told Rolling Stone after he did an informal poll
of all his Guitar Center associates. Associates the most popular
riffs heard played both well and not well at guitar
Center by customers.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Wait, so people who just go in there to play well, these.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
People might also be interested in buying an instrument.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, no, no, no, but like they're playing their instruments in
guitar Center because he said, it's not steroid to heaven.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
But there are ten songs that all of these locations
said are heard day in, day out, and they drive,
even if they're playing well, they drive.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
What a horrible job?
Speaker 5 (02:38):
What having to listen to that? You mean?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Yeah, because you know not most people probably are not
good and you got to sit there and listen to that.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
The whole day.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, that's rough on the ears. And what's funniest two
of them?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Is it in a soundproof room?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
No?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Like in my head, it's like.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
It's just in a big store.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Right, they have rooms. Oh, they have rooms. Like when
I did it in high school.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You just right out in the right out in the open.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
And two of the songs I did are on this list.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Are they really wait. But Stairway to Heaven's not on there.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
It is not on the list, despite everyone's fine believe
that it is.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yes, Kristen, I was.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Just gonna say we can go across the way. It's
less than Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
No, I know that there's a guitar center right across
the street.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I've never That's not true. I've been in there to
get like.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
A cable for something ever played.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
No, I why would I go in there and pick
up a guitar?
Speaker 6 (03:31):
There's other things you can play in there, Michael, go
and play the drums.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
He just walks in and plays the drums with zero
intentions of buying them.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
Yeah, we play the keyboards.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh my god, Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So guitar Center is like a PLAYLANDA Oh, I had
no idea.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
There's DJ setups.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I had no clue.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
No like radio DJs.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Oh hi, WKRP.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
This is the Fox Pro you record everything all right?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Here we go. What am I doing?
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So I'm gonna play Remember these are riffs. I'm not
giving you the full band version of the song. I'm
gonna give you what a guitar center employee would hear.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Oh no, and you.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Give me the uh. So you give me the song name.
You can't say the uh the artist. The artist may
tip someone else off. So perhaps if you know the
artist but aren't sure on the name, way to beat.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Wait, so what am I saying? What am I saying?
Just a song? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Just a song?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah? Okay?
Speaker 1 (04:35):
You ready?
Speaker 5 (04:36):
Are these an order or ten to one? Okay?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
The order that the CEO gave for Why is the.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Order important to you?
Speaker 5 (04:42):
I'm just asking? Don't you look.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Up the order?
Speaker 5 (04:45):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Okay? You ready?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Number ten?
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Smoke on the Water God, damn it?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Okay, Kristen's dancing, Yeah, Mike's drum part.
Speaker 6 (05:03):
We played this in Marching band. Part of the drum.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You know why?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
We weren't like hanging out with friends? Okay, all right,
so Diane got smoke on. I knew that song, by
the way, Do you.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Get it now? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:17):
How you're just hearing the guitar part.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, so now let's start by that.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Let's start I did that a lot. That was It
was the perfect number ten for me?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Is it easy? Yeah? Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
To play it right? No, there's this particular style that
over the last few years you've really seen come out
and tutorials, but to just play the chord progression.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Very easy, very easy, Diane, anybody could do it. Here
we go, all right, now we're starting Nomber nine.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
No no, no, no, no, no, that counted.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Oh I thought that was the example one nil.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
Nil Sorry, christ and I forgot about here.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Right. Yes, I'm ready.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
As you are.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
That's right, by the way. This was the other one
I still always play in the guitar center.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
I was like, oh my god, did you look up
the loo?
Speaker 5 (06:11):
No? I swear to god no, she has Shedman stepped
away from lighting for mental health reasons.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I would do much better on that conversation right now,
come on, I got to get in the game.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I'm only in control of my own reactions.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Number eight.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Crazy train. Oh, I got it. I can't Crazy train.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So, Kristen, why did you sing it?
Speaker 6 (06:39):
Because that's what Ozzie does.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Do you think you said that before me?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
No?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Guy ended definitely okay, but you knew it.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
Kristin, I'm sorry, I just have to sing it.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
But do you understand the rules? Why am I off today?
Why am I off today?
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Because you did your affirmation today? It's me and you
I know.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
But why am I off? I know these songs.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
It just takes a second, not for Diane killing it.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Number seven and bang and bang and band band.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
And with a little chord action.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Did no, no, no, don't listen to me.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I'll leave one more time, one more time.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
I can't think of the name of the damn, damn.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
The fluid as the incursion you made.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Do you know it?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Christ All right?
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Do you give up?
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Yes? Elliott? I think, yeah, you're giving up for Elliott Elliott?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, tool Oh, God, damn it, god, damn it. All right,
here we go.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
H got it?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
No?
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Oh, I said enter far sooner than you said enter.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
It doesn't matter how we started. Bobby Sherman, I went
Bobby Sherman too. So they gave it to you.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
No they didn't, Yes, they did for nothing nothing.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
All right, here we go.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
There's only five left. Okay, you have to get them
all just to beat that in.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I'd like to get one, just to be Kristen at
this point, so.
Speaker 6 (08:53):
Dancing in the burning room, John May zero, whoa, he
had the big place in my heart.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
I never would have gotten that.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But has this ever happened?
Speaker 5 (09:12):
No? No, where he was zero and she got one. No,
by the way.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You realize I can stole tie for first place here.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
Okay when Kristen Christen's on fire?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Okay, she got one.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
It's like the rooms burning. Are you ready for the
next one?
Speaker 6 (09:29):
Yeah, my heart is pumping. Let's go.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Okay, Wait, I'm not ready. Okay, I gotta get my position.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Okay, are you in your position?
Speaker 7 (09:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:45):
That was him, Yeah, Kristen, right back to dance. And
these aren't like tracks from the original recording sessions, no,
no kidding, these aren't demos. These are just what you
might hear e walk.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, God, what a miserable job.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Okay, So and these are the good ones that we
can make out for one and one? How many smells
like teen spirits that you can't figure out?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I'm ready.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Some nation army god job, damn it. I couldn't get
the name out.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I knew the song.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
She did a marching band too, Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Great school.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
So Diane just.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
Won, by the way, five, one, one, and two are left.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
This is like the Curse of Sarah Elliott will never
win another.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
God that bitch. All right, here we go. Wait, I
can't win.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
No, but this is where Diane can play spoiler. No,
Kristen gets this one, she can then make sure she
gets the last one.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
So I understand, I understand, I understand.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
You've just you've never been.
Speaker 5 (11:12):
In the spot before, saying I shouldn't guess.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
No, no, no, okay.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Well I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Have you ever seen me take Diane? If I've taught
you anything is don't take your foot off.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
The neck, Diane. Here's the deal. Don't listen. Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
M got it? Single?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Got it?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Single?
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Got it?
Speaker 8 (11:36):
I think Elliott did get Yeah, there's only no and
it's usually a little bit faster. Yes, okay, there's one left, Kristen.
You can still tie Elliott and not end up in
last place. Remember moments ago when you got a point.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
Yeah, my heart has calmed down.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Now, all right, here we go.
Speaker 7 (11:57):
I'm ready, I'm last one.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Do you know it?
Speaker 5 (12:16):
I know the band. I can't think of the same part.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I name of this all?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I got it? Oh you guys say got it?
Speaker 6 (12:34):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Go ahead?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
God, this guy sucks. Master of Puppets.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
The number one most played riff at Guitar Center by
customers is Metallica Master of Puppets.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah Buddy, yeah buddy, Yeah yeah buddy.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Five to three to one. At least at least Kristen
got a point.
Speaker 7 (13:13):
Why are you.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Dancing because I just be Kristen.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Okay, God, I haven't won since you lost all.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
And then if there was a number eleven for me,
it would have been Aerosmith. Walk this way.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Oh, that's a good one. That's a good one. I
still what a garbage job that you have.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
To work there and just people walk in and Eddie
Random could walk in. I could walk in and go
I want to buy a guitar, and I could strap in.
I've never played a guitar in my life, and I
could play it correct and they can't do anything.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
About it, which it don't even make you put headphones on.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
But you're making me feel better about what I would
strum because I've played guitar before. I honestly thought about
bringing in my amp and just doing it live. Oh
dear God, you know what made me nervous?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
The John Mayer. I don't know that Kristen did. It's
actually the only one she does know.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
The other ones just dancing