Love Island and Pre-Teen Punks with Jason Narducy

23:03Do it better. Yeah, I guess. Yes. And famously, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and then the Foo Fighters says that it was you and maybe that band that inspired to get him into rock and roll? He and Tracy are cousins. Right. So he came to Evanston when he was 13 and saw his practice, and he's just very sweet to credit us with inspiring him. Right. He's like, someday I'm going to do that. Well, he made the HBO show Sonic Highways and interviewed me and Tracy and showed footage from Cubby Bear. My dad got paid. All right. Finally.

23:42More than me.

23:49I love, like, what Martin Scorsese was to the band. Your dad was to you. Yeah. And this I love. The first launch. So that band, Verboten, reunited 40 years after breaking up. They came to me. Really? My bandmates. Yeah, they said we heard some festivals might hire us. And I said, you guys haven't played music for over 40 years. How are we going to do this? And we don't have enough music to play a festival. And the music that we have, I wrote when I was 11. I just, I didn't, I mean, I loved their enthusiasm. Yes, I mean, they're some of my closest friends, Tracy, Chris, Zach, and John, Aaron. But I just said, how are we going to do this?

24:32And then I said, well, maybe I'll take some time to write new songs while you guys practice.

24:42And they were game for it. And I have to say, we played on the main stage of Riot Fest as our union show. Were there like incredibly ancient puck rock fans who were wearing their original verboten merchandise from 1982? I love that you think that we had merchandise. I guess my question is, what are the reasons a band would break up when you're 11 years old? We broke up when I was 12. Yeah, they lasted. Now that makes more sense. And, yeah, I just felt like I needed to go through puberty without band drama. So I wanted to ask you about your latest project. You've done so many things. You have been touring, I believe, the world, right?

25:27You've been to Europe and other places with Michael Shannon, the actor. Yeah. And you're doing entire REM albums. Yeah. You started with their first one, which was Murmur, right? Mm-hmm. And a lot of questions. Michael Shannon, known primarily as an excellent actor, Chicago guy. When he came to you and said, hey, man, I'm a singer. I want to do this. You're like, oh, God, an actor who thinks he can sing. It's William Shatner. What was your reaction? Golden voices. Yeah. Well, the funny thing is that we've been doing this for 10 years in Chicago, where Michael would say, I'm going to come to town.

26:02Can you book a club, put together a band, and we'll play one entire record? And we do that, like, once a year. We did a Bob Dylan record. We did Modern Lovers. We did Neil Young Zuma. We did T-Rex. We did so many records like this. But then in 2023, we put an REM record, and it just exploded. I asked Mike if he's ever done a rock tour. He said, no. I said, I think we could do one if you want to do it. He said, yeah, keep it short. You know, he's a busy guy. He is. So we booked a nine-day tour, and the first two shows were in San Francisco. The third show was in Minneapolis. Great routing on my part.

26:44And after the first song in Minneapolis at First Avenue, we finished the first song, Radio Free Europe, and the 1 ,100 people just... I feel this, that thing that you always wish you could hear. And I have videotape of this. Michael takes a couple steps back and slowly walks up to the mic and says, Holy... Wait. Oh, sorry. That's okay. Do you have videotape or does your dad have videotape? Still out there, still in the Betamax. Well, Jason Narduzzi, it is a pleasure to talk to you. We have invited you here to play a game we're calling... Meet This Undercover Band. So, as we have established, you're great at playing covers, but what do you know about going undercover?

27:28We're going to ask you about agents who go undercover to catch the bad guys. Get two right, you'll win our prize, one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Also, who is Jason Narduzzi playing for? Owen Bostwick of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There you go, local.

27:47So here's your first question. Ready to do this? Yeah. All right. Sometimes undercover operations are too successful, like in the case of a group of cops in Detroit who posed as drug buyers in 2017 and then did what? Was it A, bought so much drugs for themselves, the actual drug-using community staged a protest at City Hall, B, increased the local drug trade so much Detroit one city of the year from the National Drug Traffickers Association, or C, successfully busted another group of undercover cops who were posing as drug dealers. I'm so glad that you guys broke these for a punk rock musician.

28:27I do, yeah. I'll go with C. You're going to go with C, and you're correct. The undercover drug buyers successfully arranged a big buy for some big-time drug dealers and then shouted, they're under arrest. At the same time, the drug dealers shouted, no, you're under arrest. And this is true. A fist fight between the two groups of cops ensued. That was very good. Here's your next question. Just last month, just last month, police in Peru pulled off a brilliant undercover sting. Their undercover agents got close enough to a major narco trafficker to arrest him by disguising themselves as what? A, the World Cup mascots, B, delivery robots, or C, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey?

29:15I'll go with A. You're right, A. Very good. The cops knew the drug trafficker would be watching the opening game of the World Cup, so they dressed up two officers as Clutch the Bald Eagle and Maple the Moose. I'm sure you know those are two of the mascots of the World Cup. All right, here's your last question. Get this, you'll be perfect. A Texas police officer went undercover to investigate a bartender suspected of selling meth and immediately ran into a challenge when the bartender asked him, are you a cop? What did he do? Did he, A, ask, what is a cop anyway? Starting a 20-minute philosophical conversation.

29:58B said, are you a drug dealer? And when she said yes, arrested her. Or C said, yeah, I'm a cop. Here's my microphone. Holding out his actual microphone. And then asked if she would still sell him drugs. And she did.

30:16Oh, I see a lot of drug buyers here in Milwaukee. They really want me to go with C. They do want you to go with C. I'll go with C. They're right. You're right. it was seen.

30:31Also, how did Jason Nardusi do in our quiz? He did all right because he got them all right. You did really well. Covered that. Jason Nardusi is a musician who's about to go on tour with his friend Michael Shannon celebrating the 40th anniversary of REM's Life's Rich Pageant. He's also the author of a funny and charming and short memoir called Mostly the Van. Jason Narduzzi, thank you so much for joining us on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me. Jason Narduzzi.

31:07In just a minute, whatever you do, don't relax. Find out why in our Listener Limber Challenge called 1-888-Wait, Wait to join us in the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me from NPR.

31:21This message comes from Mattress Firm. Sleeping hot can ruin your night. If you wake up sweaty, Mattress Firm can help. Their sleep experts are trained to match you with the right cooling mattress, like the Temper Breeze, designed to deliver cooling comfort for hot sleepers. Visit Mattress Firm and get a$300 instant gift plus next day delivery when you upgrade to a Tempur-Pedic. They make sleep easy. Restrictions apply. Next day delivery available on select mattresses and subject to location. See store for details. This message comes from Whole Foods Market. Save on seasonal favorites at Whole Foods Market.

31:59Start in the vibrant produce department, stocked with organic fruits and veggies. Then head to prepared foods for easy grab-and-go lunches and dinners. There are so many ways to save. Those yellow sale signs are just about everywhere. Plus, Prime members can find extra in-store deals every Tuesday and Friday. and the low-priced$365 by Whole Foods Market brand never sacrifices on quality. Save today and every day at Whole Foods Market.

32:27From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with Alonzo Bowden, Adam Burke, and Nageen Farsad. And here again is your host at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Peter Sagal. Thank you so much, Alzo. Thank you, everybody.

32:52Coming up, listeners sensitive to limericks may want to step away from the show for a few minutes because pretty soon it will be our listener limerick challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Nagin, the relationship columnists at the New York Times this week summed up all the best advice that they have gathered over their careers. And one useful tip is that you should give your romantic partner a list of what? Gifts. A list of... Let me give you a hint. Let me give you a hint.

33:28May I? Things like the way you tip your ugly hat, the way you loudly gulp your tea. A list of criticisms? A list of things... I'll give it to you. A list of things they do that turn you off. Oh! Yes. A psychologist says that people are too focused on adding things to their experiences between the sheets But it might be a better idea to remove things that ruin the experience like using the phrase between the sheets You know what we have the top of my list what receiving a list yeah I recently I love my husband. I think he's the best that said Nagim I honestly like don't have very many criticisms of him but I did share with him like the other day that I I just I think he eats too many apples alright it's like a lot of apples we had a moment where we all knew that Nagim was going to say something critical of her husband who here in this room anticipated it was going to be that.

34:40The idea that a woman of your caliber settled for one of those apple eaters. You could do so much better. It's a lot of apples. Define too many apples. Literally, it's like five to seven apples a day. Oh my God. It's a lot. Does sometimes he come home at night smelling of cider? And you're like... Well, and by the way, those are just the apples I know about. Oh, my God. I don't know what he's doing out on those streets. Do you think he's hiding apple eating from you? Do you think he's lying to you about his apple eating? It's a problem. Your husband, I hate to say this, is cheating on you with a horse.

35:22Did you find a folder on his computer just called Golden Delicious?

35:31Adam, this week the New York Times reported that in a new dating trend, people who are tired of nonchalant dating are instead trying what they are really calling what? So it's the opposite of nonchalant. It is. Is it like gum to your head dating? Is it like you're overthinking it? High stakes dating. No, the opposite of nonchalant is... Chalant. Yes. Chalant dating. ladies and gentlemen. The latest trend. Yes, it's called Chalant Dating, and the idea is, this is crazy, people actually put effort and care into their dating life. I mean, it's, oh yeah, basically, it's dating like you're desperate, right?

36:15Oh, I'll pick up the check and then also give you$20. I love you. So no apples. No apples. No, the New York Times says, Chalant Dating, honestly, they're calling it that, it involves things like being openly into your partner and supporting their career, and the model for this is Taylor and Travis. Known for their Chalant Dating. She was so into his career, which is easy. His career is football games. Real quick about Taylor and Travis. The only thing I'll say, can we all agree that from now on, now that she's married, all of her music is going to suck? I'm excited for an where she can write songs about whatever, brunch, Pokemon, she can just finally stop talking about it.

37:03Instead of writing about her boyfriends who betrayed her, she can write songs about her husband who went ahead and finished the Netflix show without her. I'm fascinated that this, they're the example for this. So if a guy meets a woman who's a world famous billionaire, he should be into her.

37:25No, because I'm single, and if this ever comes up, if I ever meet a woman who's a world-famous billionaire, I'll be like, you know what? You're interesting. Yeah.

37:40Coming up, it's Lightning Fill in the Blank, but first it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. You can catch us most weeks at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, and come see us on the road. We'll be at the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, Ohio. That's just outside of Dayton on September 3rd. For tickets and info to all our live events, go to nprpresents.org. Hi, everyone. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, this is Mary Blair from Monroe, Connecticut. Oh, how are things in Monroe, Connecticut?

38:11They're great. I'm so glad. What do you do there? I am a middle school librarian. Oh, my gosh.

38:21you're the second you're the second school librarian we've had on this show and now i think i finally understand who our demographic is yes i love it i i actually um was a literacy specialist before that and i so i just finished my first year as a librarian and um we had more than 1 ,300 more books checked out this year than in previous years. That's fabulous. If you, however, are a literacy specialist, I know an island where they could use your services. Well, welcome to the show, Mary. Alzo Slade, of course, is going to perform for you three news-related limericks with a last word or phrase missing from each.

39:05If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly, and two of the limericks will be a winner. Ready to go? Sure am. All right, here's your first limerick. When I travel, I don't overthink it. I buy souvenir liquor and drink it. Then I keep the shot glass. I've got them in mass. I love to collect a cheap... Trinket. Yes, the Wall Street Journal this week covered the throngs of people who proudly collect cheap souvenir crap on vacations. Of course we all buy that stuff. If you don't bring home those cheap tacky souvenirs, how are you supposed to remember what cities are for lovers? People shared with the journal their collections of collectible mugs and magnets and sculptures made from tiny shells.

39:51It's astonishing how something you will never use and don't actually want becomes something you absolutely must have once Pensacola is printed on it. I think it's great to have those, especially if you end up having kids, it's great to have those and keep them and remind your kids why you're bitter towards them. Yeah. This is the places we used to go. Exactly. I had a life before. Yeah. Why, I used to travel all over the world collecting little spoons. All right, here is your next limerick. While foot fashion mavens may smirk in shock. Seriously. Seriously. Hey. Let me cook. Let me cook.

40:40All right. Podiatrists proudly say, work your walk. A wide footbed of cork makes a high-fashioned dork. A ballet flat that's also a... Birkenstock? You got it in one! You got it in one! Birkenstock's new collaboration with the French ballet shoe company Repetto is a hippie ballerina's dream. It's perfect for anyone who loves the ballet but just wishes you could see all the toes. The collection reimagines Birkenstock's famous sturdy silhouettes with details like ballet-inspired colors and ribbon lacings. It really brings that I'm riding my e-bike to the co-op vibe to classical dance. What scares me about this is when the Crocs people find out.

41:32Oh, no! That's a much easier word to write. Here is your last limerick. As my free time is turned to the max, my chill vibe is showing some cracks. As I decompress, my mind starts to stress. I have had too much time to... Relax. Right. The Washington Post reported new research this week that shows that relaxing the way we do it these days does not actually make you happier, right? It makes sense. One minute it's like, oh, I'm going to be so happy reading in this hammock. And the next minute it's like, hello, 911, I'm stuck in a hammock. Experts, there are always experts, say that we're relaxing wrong by binge watching TV or scrolling on our phones.

42:19Okay, maybe, but what? Try this. If you're binge watching and scrolling in your phone at the same time. That's a good time. Alzo, how did Mary do in our quiz? She did great. Three out of three. Congratulations, Mary. Thank you.

42:39Take care and keep up the good work. Thank you so much. Bye-bye. This was great.

42:53This message comes from Mattress Firm. Sleeping hot can ruin your night. If you wake up sweaty, Mattress Firm can help. Their sleep experts are trained to match you with the right cooling mattress, like the Tempur-Breeze, designed to deliver cooling comfort for hot sleepers. Visit Mattress Firm and get a$300 instant gift, plus next-day delivery when you upgrade to a Tempur-Pedic. They make sleep easy. Restrictions apply. Next day delivery available on select mattresses and subject to location. See store for details. This message comes from Whole Foods Market. Save on seasonal favorites at Whole Foods Market.

43:30Start in the vibrant produce department, stocked with organic fruits and veggies. Then head to prepared foods for easy grab-and-go lunches and dinners. There are so many ways to save. Those yellow sales signs are just about everywhere. Plus, Prime members can find extra in-store deals every Tuesday and Friday. and the low-priced 365 by Whole Foods Market brand never sacrifices on quality. Save today and every day at Whole Foods Market. Now on to our final game, Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill-in-the-blank questions as they can.

44:03Each correct answer now worth two points. Alzo, can you give us the scores? Absolutely. Adam and Alonzo are tied up at three, and Nagin has a little work to do with two. All right. What? So, Nagin, you're in second place. So you're going to be up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. Here we go. On Wednesday, Democratic Senate candidate blank dropped out of the race in May. Graham Plattner. Right. This week, the health workers battling blank in the Democratic Republic of Congo went on strike. Ebola. Right. This week, a collapsing high rise in blank forced evacuations of other buildings in the neighborhood.

44:36Midtown Manhattan. Yes. On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected blank's attempt to delay his$5 million payment to E. Jean Carroll. Trump. Right. This week, a bank manager in South Korea who stole almost$50 ,000 from a bank vault was caught even though he covered his tracks by blanking. Peeing on his tracks. No. By replacing the cash he stole with fake money that had cartoon ducks on it. On Thursday, NASA said it was seeking volunteers for a year-long simulated mission to blank. Jupiter. Mars. Jupiter? On Wednesday, it was announced that Justin Bieber would perform at the final halftime show of the blank.

45:15World Cup. Right. This week, two teens in North Carolina were arrested when they were caught breaking into their school using blank. Mittens. No, a homemade plasma cannon. According to police, the two teens used a homemade plasma cannon made from metal glass and a propane tank to melt a hole through the school's front door and gain entry to the building. It's the kind of story that makes you say, actually, maybe it's okay to cut funding from STEM education.

45:44Alzo, how did Nagin do on our quiz? She did pretty good. She got five right for 10 more points. With a total of 12, she's now in the lead. All right. Let me arbitrarily pick Alonzo to go next. Here we go, Alonzo, fill in the blank. During the NATO summit, Trump held a press conference with Ukrainian President Blank. Oh, Zelensky. Close enough, Zelensky. Following a days-long funeral procession, Blank buried their supreme leader on Thursday. Iran. Right. This week, three more people were charged with vandalizing the Blank in Washington, D.C. The reflecting pool. Right. On Monday, meteorologists warned that the Super Blank may be worse than predicted.

46:18El Nino. Yes, the Super El Nino. Following demand from tourists visiting the U.S. for the World Cup, Blank announced it was offering special VIP tours. Taco Bell? No, Walmart. Under a new FTC ruling, owners of lawn and farm equipment made by Blank will be allowed to repair it themselves. John Deere? Right. On Monday, the royal family said that Blank would not stay at Buckingham Palace during his visit to the UK. Oh, Prince... Is it Harry? I don't know. Yes, it's Harry. This week, two teenagers in North Carolina who were driving around shooting BB guns and drinking were arrested when Blank called the cops on them.

46:52Grown men driving around with BB guns and shooting them. The two teenagers were arrested when the Waymo they were in called the cops on them.

47:04So the kids called a Waymo, and they were, like, driving around in it, shooting their toy guns out the window at people, and enjoying what the police called, quote, afternoon libations, but they quickly regretted the decision when the Waymo pulled over and called the cops. What a narc! We're one step away from a Waymo being like, Hey, that doesn't look like your wife back there with you. Also, how did Alonzo do in our quiz? He got six right for 12 more points, which gives him a total of 15 and the lead. All right, so how many then does Adam Burke need to win it? Six to tie, but seven to win. All right, Adam, this is for the game.

47:50Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, Trump said that the U.S.'s ceasefire with blank was over. Iran. Right, after three weeks, former Senate Majority Leader blank remains hospitalized. Mitch McConnell? Right. This week, residents in Berlin were shocked when local blanks started leaving free samples in their mailboxes. Squirrels? No, local ketamine dealers. This week, the CDC warned that a mysterious blank bug was spreading across the U.S. Is it the explosive diarrhea one? It is! On Tuesday, space company blank officially joined the NASDAQ 100. SpaceX. Right. On Tuesday, the Olympics lifted their suspensions on the team from blank.

48:25Russia. Right. With 25 nominations, the Pit led the pack for the 2026 Blank Awards. Emmys. Right. This week, a man in Scotland was arrested and charged with trying to use Blank as a weapon. Um, his breath. No, a seagull. Witnesses say the man grabbed two seagulls by the legs and then used one to try to hit a passerby. But why grab two? Obviously. One was for the crime. The other was for his getaway. Also, did Adam do well enough to win? No, he didn't. I told you. But he got six right, which means he's tied with Alonzo Bowden, and they are now co-champion. Co-champion. Excellent. All right. I guess I'm just a piece of garbage.

49:17How about them apples? Yeah.

49:22In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict after Love Island what will be the next hit reality show. But first, let me tell you all. Wait, wait, don't tell me. It's a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions, Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord, and Tech Support. Philip Gotica writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our ops manager is Jasira Vardak. BJ Liederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King. Special thanks this week to Blythe Robertson. Peter Gwynn is Milwaukee's second best.

49:51Emma Choi is our vibe curator. technical direction is from Lorna Weider. CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Schillock and the executive producer. Wait, wait, don't tell me is Mr. Michael Danforth. Now panel, what will be the next great reality show? Nageen Farsad. Brain Island where contestants have to successfully explain a law of physics before they can have sex with another contestant. Alonzo Bowden. Scroll where young people go to the most interesting places in the world and ignore them while they scroll on their phones. And Adam Burke, What Island?

50:26A show about Trump's legal defense team. And if any of that happens, panel will ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Alzo Slave. Thanks also to Adam Burke, Vigilfarsad, and Alonzo Bowden. Thanks to Matt Berringer and the entire staffing crew here at the Riverside Theater. Special thanks to everyone at WUWM here in Milwaukee. Thanks to our fabulous audience here who came out to see us from beautiful downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thanks to all of you for listening at home. Peter Sagan will see you in Chicago next week.

51:02This is NPR. This message comes from Mattress Firm. Sleeping hot can ruin your night. If you wake up sweaty, Mattress Firm can help. Their sleep experts are trained to match you with the right cooling mattress, like the Temper Breeze, designed to deliver cooling comfort for hot sleepers. Visit Mattress Firm and get a$300 instant gift plus next day delivery when you upgrade to a Tempur-Pedic. They make sleep easy. Restrictions apply. Next day delivery available on select mattresses and subject to location. See store for details. This message comes from Mint Mobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks, Mint Mobile is for you.

51:46Shop plans at mintmobile.com slash switch. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. This message comes from BetterHelp, whose survey found that while 85 % of Americans believe getting mental health support is wise, 74 % say society discourages it. Don't let stigma stand in the way. Visit BetterHelp.com slash NPR.