AI vs Songwriters, Trans Sports, Bear Hunt Backlash & Small-Town Honor - Ep. 111

From AI-written songs and a controversial commencement speech to trans athletes in girls’ sports, Cody Johnson’s bear hunt backlash, THC drinks, and a powerful small-town funeral story – the guys cover it all in this episode of the Try That In A Small Town Podcast.  

They compare Scott Borchetta’s AI-heavy, “deal with it” address to Eric Church’s inspiring guitar analogy, talk about what AI and streaming are really doing to songwriters, roast a school district for a rained-out graduation, tell wild Bahamas golf and gambling stories, and debate THC drinks, hunting, and new “poly” reality TV.  

They close with Dip Shitty of the Week and a heartfelt look at how small towns still show up for their own.  

02:53 Summer is here, kids out, and notable commencement speeches  
03:16 Eric Church’s guitar-and-life commencement speech and why it worked  
05:09 Scott Borchetta’s AI commencement: streaming, socials, and production  
05:41 Booed by grads, “I know it, deal with it” and delivery vs message  
11:09 Streaming’s impact on publishing, who actually makes money now  
12:25 Big label buildings, tiny publishing floors, and small pub company struggles  

17:34 Road managers, “bad calls,” and transition to Bahamas trip  
18:01 Bahamas: golf, fishing, tequila-fueled NHL-on-PS5 money games  
19:57 High-dollar putter on the line: live call to Jake for Scotty Cameron details  
20:58 Aldean wins the putter in overtime and pulls it from Jake’s bag at the airport  
22:10 Telly’s golf swing, overconfidence, and getting mocked online  
26:54 The blue bottle “herbal” drink heading toward felony status in Tennessee  
27:35 How it became a pre-show hype drink and what it actually looks like  
28:26 Why the state is banning it and links to opioid recovery concerns  
29:10 If that’s illegal, what about THC drinks and Delta beverages?  
29:54 THC drinks as golf “swing juice” and health vs alcohol debate  
30:32 Listeners’ THC drink stories and whether it really helps putting  
31:20 Prebiotic Pepsi “health” marketing and chemical overload  
31:56 Predicting THC drinks at sporting events and stadiums  
32:07 Super Bowl 2030 coming to Nashville and halftime show speculation  
32:30 Taylor Swift, “real” country, and who should play the big stage  
33:40 Titans rebuild, new coach, and does Will Levis really have it?  
38:18 Pocket passers vs mobile QBs and what the guys want under center  
39:40 Topic wheel spin: California track meet and trans athlete controversy  
40:21 “Can’t believe this is still a thing” and fairness for girls in sports  
40:58 Parents, boycotts, and refusing to line up against male competitors  
47:34 Kayla’s comedy, being “yourself” on mic, and overthinking funny  
49:04 Musicianship, performance anxiety, and freedom when you stop monitoring  
54:31 Hunting culture vs online outrage and meat-eating hypocrisy  
55:27 “Harvested” vs “killed” and calling hunting what it is  
56:02 Liberal sensitivities, offense at everything, and language games  
57:07 Public etiquette dipshit: people who just stop in the middle of walkways  
1:00:33 Listener callout: submit your Dip Shitty of the Week in the comments  
1:01:02 Small-town funeral: honoring a firefighter, veteran, and community pillar  
1:05:09 How that support gives the family peace and helps them move on  
1:05:27 Peacemaker Coffee promo: TTIAST blends, sucker punch dark roast, travel mugs  
1:05:58 CTAs: download, comment, send small-town stories and dipshits of the week  
1:06:26 Final sign-off from Patriot Mobile Studios powered by E Spaces  

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