Yeah. Empathy means you listen to people's perspectives and their experiences. That's the only thing I can do. Are supporting you. That's my tribe, you know? What was it about the, that drew you in that that, that, you know, sparked that passion dude behind, uh, music? John Rzeznik: And, uh, I was like, my grandfather was crazy. And he, he was able, he was able to get us. That song is still really, really special. Mike Sarraille: That hasnt changed about me, but if you mention, Gee, wouldnt it be nice if everyone could go and see a doctor? suddenly youre branded a socialist whos ruining the country. Rzeznik had a strict Catholic upbringing in Buffalo's working-class East Side Polish neighborhood and attended Corpus Christi Grammar School. ON STAGE: Goo Goo Dolls playing Riverworks his Sunday. Theres an epidemic of gun violence and its sad. It's ruining my life thinking about what this person's opinion of me is. [25] Rzeznik and his family reside in Westfield, New Jersey. And there's times where I want to pack it in and just be like, I'm done. Is that correct? And there were five kids. Hey, whatever platform you utilize to listen to our podcast, please, please leave a review. And I believe, you know, just cuz somebody's a qualified shrink or psychologist does not mean they're good at what they do. Awesome. Be the best place. That was the real push for the surveillance state. Oh, we're so sorry for you. Following the album Gutterflower, Rzeznik wrote "Always Know Where You Are" and "I'm Still Here" for the Disney film Treasure Planet,[11] which were also released as a single independently from the band. Or, or it reminds 'em of a great time in their life. And, um, and so, and he would tell me things like, Listen, I'm not always gonna be here. People leave their differences at the door and we need to find common ground, something as stupid as a few songs, This guy, that girl, these, all these people from every walk of life. Um, there are a lot of people trying to make a buck off, off of my disease or my, my illness or whatever you wanna call it. Uh, dude, that is my biggest fear of plane crash. Men's Journal 's Everyday Warrior With Mike Sarraille is a podcast that inspires individuals to live more fulfilling lives by having conversations with disrupters and high performers in all walks. And, and luckily someone saved me and I was a little kid. But, um, it's also a very regulated in industry. Like, okay, we're going down and we had time to think about it. Yeah. And that's what it is. John Rzeznik: Mike Sarraille: I think, Yeah. But what, I mean, we've all heard the, the quote from medicine, Hey, I didn't, uh, discover the, uh, light bulb. Mike Sarraille: And that to me that's like, wow, something that came out of my brain connected with this person and, and I was actually able to be there for somebody in a weird way, like a tiny little way. And then come Friday, that person went their direction with their circle of friends. And yeah, when it was like, you know, all my friend's dads, they were like, you know, Korea, Vietnam, those kind of things. So I'm gonna teach you how to do the laundry. But we all need a sense of homecoming and belonging. I agree with you. I agree, I agree with you. Towards the end, um, when you were 15 and 16, you, you lost your mom or your father and your, your mother, uh, respectively back to back. We didn't have any money. This is my life. It's like public speaking. Um, and, and my dad, my dad, my, it's really kind of, my dad was older. Rzeznik identifies the September 11 terrorist attacks as the point when the United States descended into a bleak phase of history. John Rzeznik: It's different for different people. I sucked at public speaking early on, and now, now it's become more natural. John Rzeznik: Yeah. I don't think all shrinks in, uh, psychologists, uh, do that. Because all success is built on failure after failure, after failure after failure. And it's like, you're sitting there for five years and you're like, What is the end game here? John Rzeznik: But, but it is, it is fun, you know? Previously Rzeznik had been in a band with Takac's cousin, called The Beaumonts. We knew why we existed. Um, so the one thing with this book is I wanted to make it very inclusive of, it doesn't matter who you are, sex, gender, sexual orientation, uh, it applies to everyone. But John, we, we end this with a series of what we call the hard questions, man. Keith Richards got to do his thing with Chuck Berry, and I got to do it with Westerberg. John Rzeznik: That was a hard generation. Does that just, do you walk away from that and you're like, Okay, we gotta keep on going. They put their differences aside and they come into the arena and find some common ground. So what do you do. I hope my daughter loves me and respects me in my, Mike Sarraille: It's, it's something small. You know, because you. Um, but I think there has to be a solution focused, you have to aim towards, towards a solution. We always seem to figure it out. interests, activities, website visits I don't think you're mutually exclusive in, in, in my opinion. And, and then once again, it was just, it felt so good to just go, I'm done. I mean, you, you, what you do is much was what you were doing was much more serious. Oh hell yeah. [9], Rzeznik's father died at the age of 53 on February 2, 1981, from a diabetic coma when Rzeznik was 15 years old. That's a deal. about ILikeYourOldStuff and their record label based on my But, but we'll eventually, uh, get there. In a 2018 interview, he reported that he had been sober for nearly four years. When, when, when, uh, when does the tour go till. It was a moderately successful pop hit. It's, so, again, man, it's, it's, I love this because you haven't read this book and you're basically walking through the entire book. Fast forward to their album Dizzy Up The Girl, the single "Iris" became a critical success due in large part to the release of the film City of Angels and it being a featured music video for the film. What is it about this album that you and, uh, you know, Robbie are so passionate about and so excited to, to release into the world? And I occasionally, for every 10 things I get wrong, I get one thing, right. Well, we know you had no issue, uh, with, uh, women, uh, pulling pretty women in your life. My wife and I will go take a look at that and hopefully we will find a way to make one of the, uh, the shows. John Rzeznik is very talented and amazing guitarist which known throughout the world for his performance with his band mates. Um, I, I, I do agree with people being more vulnerable, uh, discussing their problems, cuz that's the best way to get through them. I need to up in that boat. There has to be a point. I got defiant toward the people who loved me and were trying to help me. My dad's an alcoholic and life at home was pretty crazy sometimes. Yeah. John Rzeznik: John Rzeznik has a new appreciation for the Goo Goo Dolls' success Between two postponements and two injuries, Rzeznik found himself with plenty of time to reflect on his full-time job as a. But was crazy was the guy had to keep, I'll, I'll do this really quick cuz there's more important things the guy had to circle around till he was pretty much outta gas, you know, out of fuel. That, that is serious trauma. Um, you know, but one of the, one of the most amazing, brilliant things about being that young and, and being, being caught up in, in, in this pretty crazy situation is that, that I was, I was able to go, Okay, this is bad and this sucks and my heart is broken, but I have to keep going. I dont know if shes a fan as I cant speak for her, but I know she loves Iris. It's like one long error chain of, uh, things. So I went skydiving and I, I, I had a guy strapped to my back and, and I'm like, Dude, let's go. And um, and then I did, and then I went to rehab and it didn't work. We were all tribes, but so is the Hell's Angels, So is Isis, so is Al-Qaeda, those are tribes as well. Frontman Johnny Rzeznik admits jack-knifed wrecks arent the only perils facing your average rock star: unhinged fans practising witchcraft are just as dangerous. John Rzeznik: Woo gives me the creeps thinking about it. So it was. Politics in America is just shit, Rzeznik sighs. No, no. I don't always, I, I, you can't always keep your word, but you do your best to keep your promises and keep your word, um, you know, and honor your commitments. This really is, uh, keep your word. And nothing, nothing's, the only way I fail is if I quit. You did say it earlier, man. I equate doing tours for you guys to like, tours in the military. Because it comes from yourself. But that doesn't mean you go and throw yourself into the deep end of the pool, like what you just said. Mike Sarraille: Um, I think that covid and, and all the civil unrest and, and, and the struggles for, you know, whatever we're struggling towards, where we're, what are we creeping towards? This is ridiculous. Mike Sarraille: And guys, thank you for joining The Everyday Warrior. Mike Sarraille: You know, Mike Sarraille: My dad was a mailman, my mom was a school teacher. This attracted the attention of a larger record label, Metal Blade, who released their next few albums. The Goo Goo Dolls also performed the song "Name" at a live concert with LeAnn Rimes. And how do I get to a better place? Or not. It amazes me, the fact that it has lasted so long. This amp was then used to record Hold Me Up and Superstar Car Wash. I'm like, I love you guys, but this is bullshit and I'm not doing it. Mike Sarraille: And, and you know, it's, it's a bit of trauma, you know, in a way. And then, um, I don't know, then I think we're gonna go to South America. I've never heard that, but I do, I think I do know where you're going. John Rzeznik: Because there's people who wanna exploit you. John Rzeznik: John Rzeznik: Even though, even though I would get up and face it every day, I was terrified of everything, you know? I i I left my job every night with a, with a pretty girl and a pocket full of cash. In episode 28, we spoke to John Rzeznik, guitarist and frontman of the American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. And, you know, um, and I think people just kind of sit there and, and win and bitch and, and nothing gets done. And it's great to see it because people are doing it themselves and they're finally getting a little help from, from the, the local government and, and all that, you. Uh, yeah. They broke in through the gate and did some crazy ritualistic shit in my backyard. In comparison to our war. John. But once again, that guy was an everyday warrior because I don't know how you get up every morning at four 30 in the morning, go to work, carry mail, work at the post office, and then drink a quarter whiskey and then get up and do it every day for 20 something years. I can't take care of you. I, I think emotional strength is very much a part of, uh, of grit. Yeah. So I had to, Now it took a while because I am an addict and I, you know, and I always will be, but when it finally got to a point, we were all out at dinner one night and one of the guys in the band was texting one of the other guys in the band, Where are we gonna go after John leaves? Know, So when you talk about it, it's funny. You need, you need your tribe. So I, I need somebody who's gonna be good for me and. Joahn Rzeznik is the founding member. Rzeznik has said that he would "basically sit there at night and just start tuning my guitar strings up and down until something sounded really cool." But if your wife's bitching at you or, or your family's bitching at you or you're in trouble at work, consequences mean nothing to an addict. Um, so you were the youngest, did I get this right? Was it, was it you that came to the conclusion that you needed help or was it those close to you that say, Hey John, we've, we've, this, this has gotta stop? Um, you know, I think you do need to open up and you need to be help, but you, but I, I think that the problem, because like, I went to therapy for like, and I still go to therapy in little blocks of time. Oh, I just felt this whole empty feeling, he says. One victim was a NASA astronaut and another was the president-elect of a large physicians' group. And I, and, and that's something that I've, I've, I've tried to take to heart, you know, I mean, you know, there's music that's medicine. Um mm-hmm. I guess that's part of being everyday warrior. We just finished the manuscript called The Everyday Warrior, A No Hack, Practical Approach to Life. You definitely have to find the right group that wants to heal and move forward. For Goo Goo Dolls ' John Rzeznik, he never intended to make a Christmas album, but he needed a challenge. Rzeznik declared, "We're going to keep going until this shit stops". Its just some stupid quirk in my writing and I have been reprimanded for it many times, but fuck you, Im writing it how I want to write it! That's why I love the military so much. John Rzeznik: Listen to Miracle Pill on Spotify Listen to Miracle Pill on Apple Music. But, um, he got, he was, he was a dark individual. Likewise respect likewise and, uh, much respect. Um, but yeah, where is the solution? You know what they did? John Rzeznik: I mean, cuz we didn't really have anything when we were growing up, you know? He briefly attended Buffalo State College, dropping out after his first year. So I felt as though I needed to, I felt the only path for me to get over this fear was to move through it and get to the other side of it. However, Rzeznik was approached for writing the soundtrack of the movie City of Angels, and after watching the movie, Rzeznik penned down the song, which changed the band's career.[20]. Those are the, those are the best moments. Do, do you have that lot. For a 15, 16 year old, my, my biggest drama in life was, uh, probably a girl breaking up with me. Every, everyone walk away. Yes. You start to recognize faces in the crowd and, and they become an extension of your tribe. And the problem with therapy now, as I think people just use it as a crutch. Yeah. You are there because people have enabled and supported and coached and mentored you. John Rzeznik: It's an indulgence. "[18], Rzeznik has stated that his dream collaboration would be with singer/songwriter Grace VanderWaal. So, you know, there, you know, and to, and the thing is, when, when you're in a vulnerable position, there's no shortage of people who are gonna try to take advantage of that. And, and you know, you, you gotta have, you gotta have some, some ego to get up on stage in front of people or you, you know, you, and you gotta have, I'm not gonna call it ego, I'm gonna call it what it is, balls to do what you did. [citation needed]. And, and the fact that I had grown up in really in, in, in a pretty crazy environment, it was pretty nuts. Oh, well, you know, you are always welcome when we come back, you know, you know, um, yeah. Mike Sarraille: You don't have a choice. [10], In the early days of the Goo Goo Dolls, the band performed at gigs relentlessly, with Takac as the frontman (Rzeznik gradually becoming the frontman over the next few albums, as each new album contained more songs sung by Rzeznik than the last). There werent any other lyrics before that line, I just have a bad habit of putting and at the front of sentences! Rzeznik explains. Who Is John Rzeznik? You know, and, and quite literally they did. It featured a tuning that consisted of the high E string raised to F# and the B string raised to a C and with a capo at the second fret. On October 26, 1982, his mother died at the age of 51 from a sudden heart attack in the family's living room. You know? John Rzeznik: And this is 35 years later. Thats part of the deal though: I decided I was going to be a musician out in public and say things, so sometimes you have to deal with unfortunate circumstances. And it's like, you know what you do not only for yourself, but you have to keep other people in mind. If I'm afraid to talk to someone, I have to go talk to that person, you know? I'm, uh, I'm convinced. Mike Sarraille: I had to desensitize myself, you know, because because someone traumatized me. If anyone's slightly surprised to spot Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik chasing his 3-year-old daughter Lili down the street in a pink jeep while the band's Christmas music . Like, like I think Thatt, uh, PTSD in, you know, the civilian population, it's a little bit overdiagnosed I think because I'm like, I'm like, well, maybe I do have p PTSD because, you know, I don't know. . The flight was headed to California when it left the gate in . Yeah, Yeah. The Democrats are as bad off as the Republicans. Yeah. Yeah. I agree with you. And I know that I can talk to these people, you know, and I'm, and I am part of something and I am not alone, you. The lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls talks about surviving a plane crash, being a Buffalo Bills fan and making a sad song sound happy. Cuz I was so toxic myself, you know? And for all those thank you for listening. The song was released by Rzeznik as a solo track. John Rzeznik: They will find a way back. Do you think timing was a factor in that just timing in life where you guys were at could have been a factor? Um, you know, just like everybody, uh, there's times we really don't agree. So I'm like, okay, it's the fire, not the crash that kills most people. It is amazing that that happens. What, tell me about the tour man. Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night to where it was just after two years of that. I felt so closed off from the rest of the world. I'm not in control. Goo Goo Dolls John Rzeznik Seems a little quiet over here Be the first to comment on this track View all View all View all Go mobile Sometimes he would be like, Get in the car, we're getting outta here cause it's all women. I mean, I, I walk away from that and it's like, you hope you, you're able to retain a, a, a little bit of that empathy, you know? You know, um, this tour, this leg of the tour goes until the 24th of September. I just had a break free. I let him get in my head and it caused me to spiral down. It is. And I know it's heavy for a five year old, but I just want to keep instilling that in her mind, that she's got to do the work. Mike Sarraille: Yeah. Care about me. Um, well, it was, I, I was, um, when that happened with my mom and I actually was holding her in my arms when she passed. Why do I feel like, like, you know, my wife doesn't understand whatever, you know, it could be, I'm just making stuff up. You said music was the only thing you were good at.