Levi & Sherry Peckens- Tie‑Dye - Community - Music - Magic Ep44

WEBVTT

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To learn more about this class-leading VW magazine.

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All right, welcome back to Dub Life Diaries.

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Today's episode is pure color. As you can see, it's everywhere. It's even on my shirt.

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Pure love and VW soul. I've got Levi and Sherry from Trippin' Seed Tie-Dye and

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The Social Mosaic, and they are what I say is the real deal.

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Musicians, artists, lifelong Volkswagen people whose story runs from a $775

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Super Beetle to a now community-built tie-dyed masterpiece called Owsley the Beetle.

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This story is going to be packed with all of it.

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We're talking about heartbreak, hurricanes, community magic,

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and the kind of love story that only happens when two VW hearts collide.

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Levi and Sherry, welcome to Dub Life Diaries.

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Thank you, Joe. We're happy to be here. You are so welcome. And before we get

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going, I do want to just give a shout out real quick to my sponsors.

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First up is you guys.

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Man, you guys sent me this shirt for this episode. How cool.

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I kind of had that thought.

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I'm like, wouldn't it be cool if I had them come on the podcast and I had one

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of their shirts to record in? So thank you guys for hooking me up. I really appreciate it.

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First up as the sponsor is Volksmania Magazine. You guys know how I feel.

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I feel these guys are the flyest VW Magazine on the face of the planet.

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It's the quality. It's the people that make the brand just like it is for our community.

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Volksmania.com. Use Dublife10 at checkout. That's D-U-B-L-I-F-E,

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Gets you 10% off your subscription.

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Also, shout out to Salty Dub from the beach to the bay.

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Salty dub is tearing up the coastal vw scene

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now that's not just here locally that's

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coastal meaning coastal climates all over the

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world so pretty cool to see what salty dub is doing especially in some of the

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events and some of the swag they have check those guys out saltydub.com same

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discount code applies it's dub life 10 get you 10 off your merch last up right

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here on my hat If anybody can see it, my buddy Chris White, Riverbank Customs.

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Shout out to Chris and the team over at Riverbank Customs. These guys are all

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about the VW community. Some really stand-up folks.

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Go check these guys out on YouTube, Riverbank Customs.

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All right, guys, back to you guys.

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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Back to you. Back to you. I guess let's do this kind of broken up.

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I'll ask maybe Levi some questions and then I'll have some questions for you, Sherry.

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But these first couple, let's just kind of hit these off together,

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maybe more conversational. What's the vibe like today where you guys are joining from?

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It's chill. It's a beautiful day. We live out in the woods, so we enjoy all

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the quiet time we get out here, and then we make a lot of noise in our studio.

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So it's a good day. Where exactly are you guys for the listeners?

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We are in McHenry, Mississippi. We're about 26 miles north of Gulfport.

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Okay, okay. So now we can envision on the map where you guys are at.

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So I guess maybe give the listeners a short version of who Levi and Sherry are,

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what Trippin' Seed tie-dye is, and maybe even what the social mosaic is all about.

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Levi and I have been together for about, I don't know, 28 years.

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He was already tie-dying.

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I was playing music out of college. He was in a rock band. Oh, cool.

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So when we met— You got the rock star.

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I don't know about all that. You got the rock star. That's cool.

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Yeah. But, you know, we met, I loved tie-dye, and when I met him,

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I was like, oh, that's cool.

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And then we got to talking about Volkswagens, and then, you know,

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it went from there, and we've been tie-dyeing and playing music ever since.

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So the Social Mosaic, is that your band? Is that a group?

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It's the name that we go by musically, but

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it's also a project that incorporates other

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musicians and artists and local businesses so that

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we can all help each other move forward yeah cool you know levi levi can describe

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that better well creativity happens wherever there's a collaboration and people

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that are kind of willing to fall down that's what it is that i wanted to create

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it uh sometimes it goes well sometimes it uh.

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Sometimes he goes, well, I like what you said though.

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Cause I think the part of the part of success really is, is being willing to

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jump, being willing to leap.

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So like, kind of like you said, you know, being willing to fall.

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Yeah, I agree. That's where creativity comes from. It's from those accidents,

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from those that are willing to push and try.

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So good stuff. Good stuff. You guys both kind of radiate this like VW energy.

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I don't know if it's the giant five foot wide VW logo behind you or,

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but, but realistically, I want to hear this from both of your perspectives.

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What does the VW community mean to you guys individually, personally?

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Well, with me, I've always been kind of like the odd one out, like a black sheep.

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And so whenever I got around people that enjoyed Volkswagens as much as I did,

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I kind of felt connected.

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You know, it's almost, it's like a family. Basically, everybody wants to look out for you.

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You know, people go out of their way to help you. And it's amazing.

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It's what used to exist in the rock and roll community. All of those people

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helped each other along because they wanted it to exist, and that was more important

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than their own well-being.

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And everything that was great was created because of that, and it's really odd

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because the music scene really doesn't work like that, but for some reason, Volkswagen people do.

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It's beautiful. It really is. It's a cool thing.

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If your car is broke, a Volkswagen person will absolutely help you fix it just

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to see it run. And that's rare in people these days.

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Yeah, man. No doubt. Okay. I mean, I think that's pretty awesome.

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So, Levi, let me dig in on you just a little bit. Let me ask you just a couple

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of questions. I know you grew up around Volkswagens, right?

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Yeah, all my life. There's always been one somewhere.

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Oh, look at that. We got a picture of him probably, what, five,

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six years old, standing on split window bust? Yes.

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So what was maybe some of your earliest memories, whether it be they're working

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on them or cruising in one or like what, what was your one at some of your first VW memories, Levi?

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Well, that bus, that was my uncle's bus, and I lived in it with him off and on for forever.

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Wow. He went to Vietnam, and he came back, and he couldn't do people,

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so he stayed out in Kasachie in that van, and I spent a lot of time with him. Wow, I don't know, man.

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There's never been a time when there wasn't one around.

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Well, I mean, yeah, so since before, you can really remember,

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right? Because then, obviously, since you can remember, Volkswagens have been

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there in your life, which is super cool.

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Was there maybe then a particular car or, like you said, this bus?

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Was it something that kind of stood out that made you look back at it now and

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say, damn, yeah, it's always been Volkswagens?

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Is it like since something or is it just because it's just always been there?

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I think it was that bus, but it's his attitude, generally speaking,

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because people who own Volkswagens work on the Volkswagens.

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And because of that, you don't need anything from anybody.

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You need gas, really, just to kind of get on your way. And I think that's cool.

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Yeah. And I've always thought that was cool. Yeah.

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Let me just do it myself and I'll do my thing over here.

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I feel like that's the Volkswagen attitude.

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There's a lot of do-it-yourselfers in this culture, for sure. And you're right.

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There is a lot of that feeling, but there's also a lot of support, I feel.

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Maybe if somebody has a disability or something and they can't be that mechanical

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or something, I feel like the community's there anyway.

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So yeah, so Sherry, let me ask you a couple questions. Your first car was a 73 Super Beetle, right?

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Yes. Tell me just a little bit about that story and what that car maybe represented

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to you as a teenager just getting their first car. Okay.

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Well, my entire life, well, since I was about four, my favorite Matchbox car

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was a Volkswagen Beetle.

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I loved Beetles, and it was like a dream that I would even own one.

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So, you know, my parents weren't really big on to me getting a Volkswagen,

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but I was saving up my money for my part-time job.

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I took a city bus to the mall and we drove past this Volkswagen that was for

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sale and he had 800 bucks on it. And I was like, that's going to be my car.

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So I got home. I got my dad and I was like, let's go look at this car. I want it.

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And it needed floor pans. It needed a lot of stuff. I didn't care.

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It went home with me. and what was

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funny though is my dad was he took

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it for a drive and he said absolutely not we're gonna

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get rid of this no way so he

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drove it to this mechanic shop down the street

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and they were like you don't want to sell it this is a great car and he was

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like okay so we worked on it together we fixed the floor we painted it so it

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was kind of a project for me and my dad and man it was just It was a dream. It was just a dream.

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So fast forward a little bit, you know, in your life now, when Levi and you

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met and he mentioned, you know, 28 years plus, right? He mentioned that he had a VW.

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What ran through your mind as the same, you know, background in life?

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I don't know if it had come up in conversation yet, but when it did,

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were you like, I don't know, like maybe tell me what ran through your mind when

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you found out he was also a VW guy? Well, to be honest, he didn't have a Volkswagen.

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What happened was he was walking me out to my car and I had one of those,

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like it was a 93 honda civic and

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he he looked at it and he said wow that reminds me of

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a volkswagen beetle and i was like man i wish it was a

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volkswagen beetle and that's that's just where

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it happened and he was he started telling me all his volkswagen stories

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and i was like yeah tie-dye music volkswagens

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this is this is it that's it

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that's it awesome all right so let's

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go back to both of you now and you know no pressure if

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if one of you wants to to you know scream out an answer

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or both of you or you know let's talk about this 66 beetle how'd you guys come

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across this beetle and maybe talk about what made this beetle special well we

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we weren't together for very long lily was still a baby so it was probably maybe 99 and,

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when we bought we we lived in hattiesburg mississippi and we were driving around

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i don't even know what we were doing it was so long ago and there was this volkswagen beetle and it was.

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In front of this house for sale and they

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wanted like thirteen hundred dollars for it

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and we were like wow look how beautiful it was it

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was all original except for the

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engine and it was in solid shape of

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course it wasn't running we had to bring it somewhere and

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having you know some work and then we worked on it

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for quite some time but yeah it his aunt

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helped me buy it and then there i

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was on the road to working on a volkswagen again and

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that became our daily driver for for quite some time

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was it a six volt or you said upgraded the engine

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so did they upgrade it to a 12 volt too yeah because

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they didn't do it well and for that reason it had

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electrical problems but it was stuff that it was

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easy to figure out at least yeah it's a

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wonderful little i don't know companion i loved it heck yeah man they're all

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they're all a vibe i was saying a second ago i've got a 62 six six volt so let's

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talk about some of this loss that you guys went through because i I feel like, you know.

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Actually connect to this because last year here, we had the two hurricanes that

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came through the Gulf Coast, you know, and, and, and really wiped us out.

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The first one was flooding.

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The second one was wind, but you guys lost two buses, right?

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Or did you lose one bus, two buses in Katrina, right?

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Well, yeah, but it wasn't. Yeah, I guess it kind of was.

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Yeah, it was two buses. We had a transporter bus and Westphalia.

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Okay. So a camper and then a hard top or a tin top. Yeah.

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So yeah, you lost them in Katrina. Like maybe describe that for me.

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What'd that feel like emotionally?

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Well, it's a little devastating because the tin top, you called it,

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I call it the transporter.

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It was Levi's bus all the way. It was just, it screamed Levi.

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And we had some trouble with the engine.

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It came with dual Webbers and we just couldn't get it right.

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But then we bought this Westie for $500 out of Gulfport, Mississippi.

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And y'all, you need to start looking for some deals when I'm ready to buy them.

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I'm going to come to you guys.

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This was what, 20 years ago? Yeah.

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And it ran, it was solid, but we had some issues.

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And then after it was after Katrina, we had to kind of move and sell our house.

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You know, how everybody had to kind of move around and change their lives. Yeah.

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That just happened really to our coast, West Coast, Central Florida.

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Like I said, in those last year hurricanes, even my own family was affected.

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My brother was displaced. He had a waterfront property in Madeira Beach.

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They got like almost 60 inches of water in the living room, which is,

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you know, five feet. I mean, that's like, wow.

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My father-in-law lost his cars, lost his Harley, you know, because...

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We all did what we normally do, which is weather the storm and batten down the

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hatches and, you know, essentially stay.

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But, you know, certainly probably not the best choice in this case.

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So storm two, we were like, nah, we're out. Right. So everybody leaves then.

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And then evacuating was crazy. It was like, I'll never forget this.

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The drive up to we went up to St. Augustine and the drive up,

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they had opened up the emergency lanes on the sides of the freeway.

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And they had all these signs everywhere.

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So cars are, you know, cruising probably 25, maybe 15 to 25 miles an hour.

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And like, so all five lanes of traffic, then the two emergency lanes all going in one direction.

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It was like, dang, man, this looks like Stephen King's the stand or something.

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It was just, it was wild, dude, wild for me to go through that.

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And then to come back after storm two, You guys know this feeling if you come back after a big storm.

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I couldn't believe the amount of trees that were down all over town. It was like, what?

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Like, we'd never seen that before. I'm born and raised right here in St. Pete.

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I've never seen. I'm 48 years old. I've never seen anything like that as far

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as how many down oak trees.

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And then, you know, obviously cleanup starts.

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But, man, what a emotionally charged moment, you know, and then especially to

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lose a couple buses. So you guys kept the titles to these buses, right?

00:16:50.728 --> 00:16:55.788
Yeah. They just happened to stay in my paperwork and I came across them,

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you know, not too long ago.

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I was like, dang, man, you know, it,

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I don't know why. It's just, you know, you get a Volkswagen.

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It's kind of part of you, I guess, you know?

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Yeah, I do. That's probably why I kept them. Yeah, no, that's cool.

00:17:13.516 --> 00:17:17.756
You know, it's kind of like the proof, you know, like, no, we had these. What years were they?

00:17:18.476 --> 00:17:26.176
They were both 75s. Yeah, good late year, too. Awesome, you know, bay window.

00:17:27.036 --> 00:17:30.296
So fast forward a bit then again. Let's touch on tie-dye.

00:17:31.242 --> 00:17:34.282
For both of you, when did it become more than a craft?

00:17:34.602 --> 00:17:40.622
When did it maybe turn into, whoa, we're on to something here, maybe even a lifestyle?

00:17:41.322 --> 00:17:46.682
This is more for Levi's seat because he was already tie-dying and doing that before I met him.

00:17:47.682 --> 00:17:51.362
I don't think he came at me like that. I was playing guitar,

00:17:51.422 --> 00:17:58.802
and because I was playing guitar, I needed money real bad, and I had this skill, so I pursued it.

00:17:58.802 --> 00:18:01.702
When we got together and we had kids

00:18:01.702 --> 00:18:04.462
and that's just as bad when you when you have

00:18:04.462 --> 00:18:07.082
kids you need money so i'm sure

00:18:07.082 --> 00:18:14.822
and like a lot of it yeah yeah and it never stops like people people never stop

00:18:14.822 --> 00:18:21.402
asking you for money we did a stint there like when we first met we tried to

00:18:21.402 --> 00:18:25.962
make it work but Katrina just kind of made everything goofy.

00:18:26.682 --> 00:18:34.182
So, what, 15 years ago? Maybe 16 years ago? We took it up, and we started taking it serious again.

00:18:35.362 --> 00:18:39.402
Yeah, we didn't want real jobs, because real jobs were murdering our souls.

00:18:39.762 --> 00:18:43.222
And then we realized, you know, if we could do something ourselves,

00:18:43.662 --> 00:18:45.962
let's get back to this tie-dye.

00:18:46.182 --> 00:18:51.082
And, you know, we did it, and we had a little setup. up and and then we just

00:18:51.082 --> 00:18:57.802
we just kept doing that was I think we went full-time on tie-dye in 2014 roughly

00:18:57.802 --> 00:19:00.862
and we were playing music as well through that time,

00:19:01.796 --> 00:19:05.256
When I was looking at your, at your, at your backstory, you know,

00:19:05.336 --> 00:19:09.116
just trying to come up with this outline, I had noticed that you had said it

00:19:09.116 --> 00:19:11.216
took you guys, or maybe it took you,

00:19:11.436 --> 00:19:15.756
Sherry, I don't know, but it took one of you or both of you about two years

00:19:15.756 --> 00:19:19.196
to actually learn how to do the VW emblem.

00:19:19.436 --> 00:19:23.396
Can we touch on that? Maybe teach me what, what that process looks like.

00:19:23.636 --> 00:19:25.296
Overview. Two years is a long time.

00:19:25.856 --> 00:19:30.516
It is a long time. And it's great because, you know, I was like,

00:19:30.676 --> 00:19:33.556
well, all of this stuff is converging in life.

00:19:33.736 --> 00:19:37.596
All this stuff that I love, Volkswagens, tie-dye, you know, music.

00:19:38.636 --> 00:19:44.176
I would love to make a Volkswagen tie-dye. That would just be the best.

00:19:44.516 --> 00:19:48.656
And, you know, yes, the best. The best.

00:19:50.036 --> 00:19:55.696
So we would buy these little, like, towels at Sam's, you know,

00:19:55.816 --> 00:19:57.696
these little flower sack towels.

00:19:57.956 --> 00:20:00.816
And we'd have old t-shirts or whatever and I'd sit

00:20:00.816 --> 00:20:08.816
at a table and I would draw it out I kept thinking like how I make peace signs

00:20:08.816 --> 00:20:15.316
but I had to think outside that box and it took me a while and one day I'm sitting

00:20:15.316 --> 00:20:18.636
there and I'm sitting at my desk with this piece of fabric,

00:20:19.333 --> 00:20:24.693
And Levi said something to me, said something about why don't you think about

00:20:24.693 --> 00:20:27.673
the empty space? And I was like, oh.

00:20:28.653 --> 00:20:35.893
So then real quick, I folded it up, I ran outside into the tie dye lab,

00:20:35.973 --> 00:20:39.513
I threw something and this is not our process at all.

00:20:39.813 --> 00:20:43.773
I ran outside and I threw some dye on it and I sat there for a minute.

00:20:43.773 --> 00:20:45.793
I was like, I'm just going to open it and see if it worked.

00:20:45.953 --> 00:20:51.093
And I opened it and it worked. And I was like, ah, ran through the house.

00:20:51.193 --> 00:20:55.393
I was like, I got it, I got it, I got it. So from then on, you know,

00:20:55.513 --> 00:21:00.033
that's been like my sole focus. And even now we're more like,

00:21:00.153 --> 00:21:04.493
you know, Volkswagen shows, you know, making the Volkswagen tie-dye.

00:21:04.893 --> 00:21:08.173
Yes. So let's touch on that quickly on the shows.

00:21:08.353 --> 00:21:13.273
How did the Volkswagen community first respond? Because I know when I see the

00:21:13.273 --> 00:21:17.413
really cool tie-dyes at a show, I'm like, thank God they're here, you know.

00:21:17.813 --> 00:21:22.213
But honestly, you know, and I'm not just saying this, I don't really recall

00:21:22.213 --> 00:21:27.033
any time in my life, in my past, ever seeing somebody that's got the logo down

00:21:27.033 --> 00:21:30.473
this good or really just some of the stuff that you guys do.

00:21:30.613 --> 00:21:33.053
I've, you know, I've kind of been checking you guys out.

00:21:33.553 --> 00:21:37.073
Man, you guys got the tie-dye game down, Pat, that's for sure.

00:21:37.913 --> 00:21:39.633
Yeah, that's pretty awesome, though.

00:21:40.913 --> 00:21:44.553
That was the tipping point after she did it.

00:21:44.553 --> 00:21:49.873
It's one of those things like well since i can do this i can do anything and

00:21:49.873 --> 00:21:54.393
after a volkswagen it's like well we can do anything now and that's kind of

00:21:54.393 --> 00:21:57.993
how it's true yeah people so the community,

00:21:58.933 --> 00:22:04.853
man i mean volkswagen people are just nothing but nice right and they love us

00:22:04.853 --> 00:22:09.993
and so i guess we can love them back you know what was such a trip is we went

00:22:09.993 --> 00:22:13.013
to a new show this year it was in Tannehill.

00:22:13.273 --> 00:22:17.873
Oh my gosh, Volksjam. It was so awesome and it was great because it was a new

00:22:17.873 --> 00:22:19.013
place that you really know.

00:22:19.639 --> 00:22:22.939
Go ahead the adam simpson yes yeah

00:22:22.939 --> 00:22:26.199
super super amazing person yes yes

00:22:26.199 --> 00:22:28.959
he's super cool but i walked up to

00:22:28.959 --> 00:22:31.739
him and i was like are you adam he was like yeah and then

00:22:31.739 --> 00:22:36.139
there were people around him that were like you're tripping seed you came you

00:22:36.139 --> 00:22:40.859
know it's like i don't even know these guys this is awesome they knew who we

00:22:40.859 --> 00:22:47.099
were yeah i'd say that's open arms for sure oh yeah beautiful place that they're

00:22:47.099 --> 00:22:49.319
really super nice people. Yeah.

00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:54.619
While we're touching on shows, is there one that you've attended,

00:22:54.839 --> 00:23:00.959
maybe aside from Tannehill, that may have stood out the most over the last couple of years?

00:23:01.539 --> 00:23:04.239
Aside from the one where they gave me a car.

00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:08.179
Well, we're going to talk about that one.

00:23:10.499 --> 00:23:15.459
We'll get to that one, but we got to say this other one Levi brought to my attention

00:23:15.459 --> 00:23:17.679
was in Niceville, Florida.

00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:23.479
Oh, man, that was awesome. It rained. It rained. And it sucked.

00:23:23.639 --> 00:23:26.319
And everybody was just like, well, you want a beer?

00:23:27.419 --> 00:23:28.959
And it just didn't matter.

00:23:30.379 --> 00:23:34.739
At first, they were like, we're going to cancel, you know. And we were like,

00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:37.299
oh, okay. So we're just sitting there. And then they were like,

00:23:37.339 --> 00:23:38.239
we're just going to hang out.

00:23:38.841 --> 00:23:43.081
And I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to set up our getup and see what happens.

00:23:43.361 --> 00:23:46.661
And, you know, even though they couldn't have a show that day,

00:23:46.781 --> 00:23:49.801
they were still being so super supportive and helpful.

00:23:50.301 --> 00:23:52.821
It just, that blew my mind. But, you know.

00:23:54.541 --> 00:23:59.201
That's the bad day everybody wants to have. Yes. It's like, okay.

00:23:59.701 --> 00:24:03.061
Yeah. It's like somebody going fishing and saying they're having a bad day.

00:24:03.181 --> 00:24:04.501
I'm like, you're fishing though.

00:24:05.641 --> 00:24:08.921
Yes, exactly. Is there such thing as a bad day? right?

00:24:10.181 --> 00:24:16.081
Now I know you guys, you know, you donate a lot, right? You've donated merch to different VW clubs.

00:24:16.281 --> 00:24:20.521
I know certainly up in the, in the Gulf coast region, just touch on,

00:24:20.701 --> 00:24:23.121
on why giving back is important to you guys.

00:24:24.661 --> 00:24:33.961
Well, with me, it's always, it's always just wanting to give a hand to any organization

00:24:33.961 --> 00:24:36.421
that may need all of our help.

00:24:36.561 --> 00:24:42.381
You know, the Humane Society being very near and dear to our hearts because

00:24:42.381 --> 00:24:47.161
we have a kid who's going to vet school and we were going and volunteering and

00:24:47.161 --> 00:24:49.121
stuff at the Humane Society.

00:24:50.321 --> 00:24:54.621
That's awesome to hear. My daughter, my 19-year-old, was originally interested

00:24:54.621 --> 00:24:57.561
in becoming a vet and it was her whole childhood.

00:24:57.561 --> 00:25:00.881
She worked around horses and all this stuff. and

00:25:00.881 --> 00:25:03.661
then just had a little bit of a change of heart still

00:25:03.661 --> 00:25:06.541
loves animals still trains dogs and all that good stuff but

00:25:06.541 --> 00:25:13.261
she went and got her cosmetology license in in florida so she's a you know cosmetologist

00:25:13.261 --> 00:25:19.761
but yeah i i resonate with that a little bit you know i kind of love animals

00:25:19.761 --> 00:25:23.961
big time myself so that's cool that you guys that you guys do that,

00:25:24.581 --> 00:25:29.241
levi probably has more to say because he's he's like the mastermind of all full and,

00:25:29.776 --> 00:25:33.136
philanthropy that came

00:25:33.136 --> 00:25:35.956
to be real simple i used to just give people the shirt

00:25:35.956 --> 00:25:38.696
off my back because i made them and people would be like hey

00:25:38.696 --> 00:25:44.816
man that's a cool shirt and i'd take you on it yeah right like wow that's super

00:25:44.816 --> 00:25:49.136
cool man the reason why i did it is because a long time ago somebody was having

00:25:49.136 --> 00:25:50.696
a really bad day and i just gave

00:25:50.696 --> 00:25:56.276
him my shirt 10 years later that girl was like you And she remembered.

00:25:57.056 --> 00:26:02.476
And, you know, it's funny because in the world you see terrible things happen all the time.

00:26:02.636 --> 00:26:06.676
But if somebody, you know, gives you their shirt, that sticks with you.

00:26:06.836 --> 00:26:09.836
And I think that's hope in a way.

00:26:09.836 --> 00:26:13.636
Man that's uh special special to

00:26:13.636 --> 00:26:16.336
hear that man that's awesome so let's touch on the

00:26:16.336 --> 00:26:19.556
music side of it how does the music fit in

00:26:19.556 --> 00:26:22.416
now do they merge does the music

00:26:22.416 --> 00:26:30.416
and the tie-dye kind of inspire a sound or completely separate it does but see

00:26:30.416 --> 00:26:37.096
we go in that direction she's the classically trained yeah yeah she's a classically

00:26:37.096 --> 00:26:40.576
trained uh flute player and you know I'm a blues player,

00:26:40.936 --> 00:26:45.156
and so we can cater to Sherry, and I don't mind.

00:26:45.356 --> 00:26:50.916
That's all chords, and it's all fancy music, but I feel more like this.

00:26:51.316 --> 00:26:55.076
Everything's all dirty and distorted, kind of like Jimi Hendrix.

00:26:55.476 --> 00:26:59.676
It's, you know, raunchy, but, you know, she can go there now.

00:27:00.656 --> 00:27:06.196
Yeah, we use a lot of tie-dye in our videos and stuff, so we put tie-dyes behind us somewhere.

00:27:06.910 --> 00:27:12.350
Of course, wear it. We're writing music and then trying to come up with ideas

00:27:12.350 --> 00:27:14.710
of what kind of art to put on a backdrop.

00:27:15.030 --> 00:27:18.170
So it kind of feeds the creativity.

00:27:18.930 --> 00:27:23.890
Very, very cool. Let's touch on the social mosaic as a, I guess,

00:27:23.910 --> 00:27:25.530
as a bigger picture. What's the mission?

00:27:26.190 --> 00:27:31.470
And I don't know, how do you to maybe create art, music?

00:27:32.370 --> 00:27:35.650
Is it together? Is it separate?

00:27:36.190 --> 00:27:40.750
You know, yeah, just kind of help me out. Help me visualize that for Social Mosaic.

00:27:41.550 --> 00:27:47.270
Okay. Well, we both work together to make the tie-dye fold and he dies.

00:27:47.290 --> 00:27:52.870
And in music, we're always working together, but he's got a deeper thought.

00:27:53.650 --> 00:27:58.230
You know what I would like to see is, I would like to see the kind of community

00:27:58.230 --> 00:28:02.510
that exists with Volkswagen people with music. Oh.

00:28:02.990 --> 00:28:07.230
And it's people who just wanted to see it stay alive because the industry,

00:28:07.230 --> 00:28:13.670
it imploded and now there's not anybody who's really putting time into going

00:28:13.670 --> 00:28:16.830
and living on the mountains so that they can break back the truth, so to speak.

00:28:17.190 --> 00:28:20.030
I think somebody, I mean, it's happening, but you're not hearing it.

00:28:20.030 --> 00:28:26.110
You know, it's not in the mainstream, and it's because people don't care about

00:28:26.110 --> 00:28:27.790
it in that way, and they probably should.

00:28:28.070 --> 00:28:32.590
And that's ironic, because people who drive Volkswagen probably have that attitude.

00:28:32.950 --> 00:28:38.330
And if people who played music had that attitude, we would be rediscovering

00:28:38.330 --> 00:28:43.930
a band like Tool or Pink Floyd every two or three years, and that would just sustain.

00:28:44.070 --> 00:28:48.690
I don't know. I'd like to see that exist. That's all of those projects came

00:28:48.690 --> 00:28:51.610
out of that kind of a mentality of people just helping each other.

00:28:52.170 --> 00:28:59.290
Yeah. And I vibe with that too, as a, as a whole for the VW community and just

00:28:59.290 --> 00:29:01.430
kind of big picture, I guess.

00:29:01.770 --> 00:29:08.090
And I think maybe they, we try, you know, we're, we're like here trying to celebrate,

00:29:08.250 --> 00:29:09.750
right. The lifestyle, the culture.

00:29:10.530 --> 00:29:14.630
Here's the thing, and I know it's kind of more of a sad truth than really anything

00:29:14.630 --> 00:29:19.170
is, you know, the real culture and the real heart and the real soul,

00:29:19.170 --> 00:29:22.470
it exists through what we're willing to keep around, right?

00:29:22.710 --> 00:29:28.250
Like the ones that created this and cut this path for us, sadly,

00:29:28.510 --> 00:29:32.130
they're starting to die off and they're starting to really not have the same

00:29:32.130 --> 00:29:35.150
level of energy maybe at one point that they did.

00:29:35.750 --> 00:29:39.370
So it's up to us, I guess, right? It's up to us to keep this, keep this.

00:29:39.490 --> 00:29:42.290
So I'm going to, I'm going to jump right in there with you and say,

00:29:42.450 --> 00:29:46.510
let's, let, let, let's hope, let's keep that hope and that dream alive that,

00:29:46.670 --> 00:29:49.750
you know, that you guys are doing now. We're doing it now.

00:29:50.210 --> 00:29:54.250
You know, I have an analogy for that. And I think it applies to everything.

00:29:54.650 --> 00:30:00.130
I think a long time ago, there were, there were cowboys and the original cowboys were slaves.

00:30:00.530 --> 00:30:04.190
That's what they were. And then the next generation of cowboys,

00:30:04.390 --> 00:30:05.950
well, those people were outlaws.

00:30:06.130 --> 00:30:10.450
Those people were criminals and they couldn't have anything else to do. So they became cowboys.

00:30:10.670 --> 00:30:18.250
And that spirit represented freedom. So the next generation of cowboys was actually conservationists.

00:30:18.970 --> 00:30:22.670
That was, you know, Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok.

00:30:22.890 --> 00:30:27.710
And the point was to preserve this idea of freedom.

00:30:27.710 --> 00:30:32.690
Them and somewhere in that it becomes contorted because if you fast forward

00:30:32.690 --> 00:30:39.770
to like the 70s you get jr ewing and it it distorts the idea of the cowboy they

00:30:39.770 --> 00:30:42.070
see the the actual cowboy still exists.

00:30:43.230 --> 00:30:46.950
And you kind of want to believe that i want to believe that about like volkswagen

00:30:46.950 --> 00:30:50.390
owners are like the real musicians and people who are always going to go to

00:30:50.390 --> 00:30:54.070
bat and they're just going to do it because it needs to be done and i believe

00:30:54.070 --> 00:30:58.210
in those people i like that on that parallels oddly with what you were saying.

00:30:58.530 --> 00:31:02.630
It does. I like that analogy. It was good. Biggest pinch me moment.

00:31:03.247 --> 00:31:10.267
From a show, from maybe either performing, I know you guys do that too, or selling the tie-dye.

00:31:10.427 --> 00:31:12.947
You know, I think we touched on that a little bit when you were like,

00:31:13.027 --> 00:31:15.587
oh, somebody saw us and said, hey, it's Trippin' Seed, right?

00:31:15.727 --> 00:31:21.327
But like, any big pinch me moments in the last maybe couple years, last year?

00:31:21.647 --> 00:31:27.007
Going to the Gulf Coast show and this car being under wraps.

00:31:27.007 --> 00:31:30.107
I'm wondering, why is there a car with a cover on it?

00:31:30.227 --> 00:31:33.127
All right, let's talk about it. Let's talk about it. we're here we're

00:31:33.127 --> 00:31:36.327
at the story so we're at bugging the beach 2025

00:31:36.327 --> 00:31:39.527
so tell us the story leading up

00:31:39.527 --> 00:31:42.367
to this event right you had

00:31:42.367 --> 00:31:46.367
no idea this surprise was coming to you no no

00:31:46.367 --> 00:31:49.887
clue none whatsoever i was getting

00:31:49.887 --> 00:31:53.347
ready for this show like we do every show we make

00:31:53.347 --> 00:31:56.147
a bunch of tight eyes we make sure that were

00:31:56.147 --> 00:31:59.207
all stocked up you know get all packed down I

00:31:59.207 --> 00:32:02.227
had a couple of phone calls from the club you

00:32:02.227 --> 00:32:05.667
know just asking questions you know about other

00:32:05.667 --> 00:32:08.647
vendors I mean they they all knew

00:32:08.647 --> 00:32:11.327
that of course I was going to be a vendor I'm not going to

00:32:11.327 --> 00:32:14.847
miss the show you know but we

00:32:14.847 --> 00:32:17.687
got there and it was just like it was just

00:32:17.687 --> 00:32:20.767
like we've worked it every time because we've worked this show

00:32:20.767 --> 00:32:23.767
several years since they moved it

00:32:23.767 --> 00:32:28.687
but yeah i didn't even notice there was a car with a cover on it until later

00:32:28.687 --> 00:32:33.127
when you know i when we were at the show for a while and things start to calm

00:32:33.127 --> 00:32:38.147
down i like to go around take pictures and look and i was like there's a car

00:32:38.147 --> 00:32:42.467
over there that got a cover on it i have to see what's going on so.

00:32:43.577 --> 00:32:50.657
Like a moth yeah and they they they did post something on facebook where they posted a video,

00:32:51.377 --> 00:32:55.337
of somebody driving a bug and they

00:32:55.337 --> 00:32:58.297
were like there's gonna be a big surprise and i was like oh

00:32:58.297 --> 00:33:01.637
man i bet mike built a car for another charity

00:33:01.637 --> 00:33:04.477
because he he gave away a car

00:33:04.477 --> 00:33:08.297
the year before for you know colorectal cancer and

00:33:08.297 --> 00:33:11.137
so i was like you know he's up to something so i wonder

00:33:11.137 --> 00:33:13.917
what he's doing now so what

00:33:13.917 --> 00:33:16.977
was the end yeah describe the unveiling moment

00:33:16.977 --> 00:33:19.777
then well this is okay at the end of the show

00:33:19.777 --> 00:33:23.077
they were going to be giving away awards so we

00:33:23.077 --> 00:33:26.337
were listening to the awards and that's usually when we start kind of cleaning

00:33:26.337 --> 00:33:30.757
up our tent and kind of packing down slowly we're not going to miss the end

00:33:30.757 --> 00:33:38.857
of the show and so mike who built the car his wife came to my tent She was kind

00:33:38.857 --> 00:33:40.397
of looking around and I was like, Tammy.

00:33:41.277 --> 00:33:45.577
What's the deal with this car over there? And then she just left.

00:33:45.937 --> 00:33:48.817
It's like she didn't want to answer the question. I was like,

00:33:48.957 --> 00:33:50.437
I wonder what's going on.

00:33:51.137 --> 00:33:57.257
Well, not, I don't know, maybe 10, 15 minutes later, they called my name.

00:33:57.797 --> 00:34:02.597
Sherry Peckins, will you come up front or come to the tent?

00:34:03.237 --> 00:34:06.797
And I looked at Levi and I was like, what is this?

00:34:07.277 --> 00:34:10.517
But the whole time I'm walking up there, they're talking about all the stuff

00:34:10.517 --> 00:34:14.017
that we did. And I was like, why are they talking about us like this?

00:34:14.557 --> 00:34:18.117
I mean, because, you know, this is just what we do. It's not...

00:34:19.226 --> 00:34:23.726
You know, it's not something huge that we celebrate. We just do these things.

00:34:23.966 --> 00:34:28.246
You know, we donate to the clubs because they're raising money for charities.

00:34:29.326 --> 00:34:37.686
We give our time to organizations that we love, and we want to help the people around us that we love.

00:34:37.906 --> 00:34:40.426
So, you know, when they started talking about, well, you know,

00:34:40.526 --> 00:34:42.626
she's done this with the Humane Society.

00:34:42.906 --> 00:34:45.966
And then I turned around and was like, well, leave her.

00:34:46.366 --> 00:34:48.646
So they called Levi up there, too.

00:34:49.226 --> 00:34:53.546
And we're both standing there and all of a sudden, Mike says,

00:34:53.746 --> 00:34:57.366
well, Sherry, you deserve this. We have a car for you.

00:34:57.666 --> 00:35:02.786
And at that moment, everything disappeared. I just, I was like, what?

00:35:03.506 --> 00:35:07.526
You know, and I can go back. They posted a video. I go back and watch the video.

00:35:07.706 --> 00:35:15.046
You know, it's hard to even remember what happened with all the people and all

00:35:15.046 --> 00:35:19.226
the words. And then we walked over to this thing.

00:35:19.426 --> 00:35:26.786
All the presidents of the Coast Clubs was Pensacola, New Orleans, and Biloxi.

00:35:27.206 --> 00:35:33.006
And they all grabbed the corners and they lifted it up. And I just freaked.

00:35:34.146 --> 00:35:40.366
Totally freaked. I mean, it had the artwork of a tie-dye that I had just sold to Mike.

00:35:40.606 --> 00:35:45.446
He did that by hand. He put our band logo, which is where we met Mike.

00:35:45.706 --> 00:35:50.426
Playing music in Ocean Springs and I just,

00:35:51.329 --> 00:35:57.629
i didn't even know what to say and limo was behind me in the video and his jaw was just dropped.

00:35:59.769 --> 00:36:03.629
Actually actually there's there's like a little story inside of that bigger

00:36:03.629 --> 00:36:08.169
story and that's that when you were you were just like shocked because somebody

00:36:08.169 --> 00:36:12.989
gave you a car and this dude walks up and he goes man i know you're all into

00:36:12.989 --> 00:36:15.229
the car and stuff but can I buy this?

00:36:16.509 --> 00:36:22.409
He had a tie-dye. He left our tie-dye tip. He's like, let's get back to business. Right.

00:36:23.469 --> 00:36:26.649
It was great. Levi was like, why don't you just keep the shirt, dude?

00:36:30.209 --> 00:36:34.929
So you guys talk about Mike. I take it this is Mike Schillinger.

00:36:35.569 --> 00:36:39.169
Yes. Can you maybe describe the kind of guy that he is?

00:36:39.269 --> 00:36:43.429
I mean, I think this is pretty awesome, But I remember a quote that you had

00:36:43.429 --> 00:36:47.629
given me where he had said something really kind of profound to you about how

00:36:47.629 --> 00:36:49.329
you are a part of this community.

00:36:49.689 --> 00:36:53.809
You know, maybe just tell me what kind of guy he is and maybe what that comment meant to you.

00:36:54.429 --> 00:36:59.769
Well, it it's a trip because when we met him, it was years ago.

00:36:59.769 --> 00:37:04.709
We were playing music and he had this purple Volkswagen bus.

00:37:05.329 --> 00:37:09.029
And I was like, oh, man, and the name of the bus is Purple Haze.

00:37:09.689 --> 00:37:12.909
And he was driving his cruise. Let's go, buddy.

00:37:13.789 --> 00:37:19.509
Yes. We saw him at Cruising the Coast and he had his bus and he had a Harry

00:37:19.509 --> 00:37:22.689
Potter car and we just hit it off because, of course, Volkswagen.

00:37:23.789 --> 00:37:29.749
So, you know, we just, every time we see each other, it's like we've been friends our whole life.

00:37:29.989 --> 00:37:33.129
I mean, he's just, he's a funny guy. He's hilarious.

00:37:33.769 --> 00:37:40.369
And he will, he will help anybody. and he he was already working on another

00:37:40.369 --> 00:37:47.209
Volkswagen but when I met him and so we got to talking about you know Volkswagens and stuff but.

00:37:48.052 --> 00:37:51.152
The comment happened last year

00:37:51.152 --> 00:37:53.972
was bugging the beach 2024 and that's when

00:37:53.972 --> 00:37:56.572
he was giving away the colorectal car and i

00:37:56.572 --> 00:37:59.792
wanted this car so bad i bought tickets

00:37:59.792 --> 00:38:06.872
and then for the show we made a bunch of blue ribbon tie-dye t-shirts and we

00:38:06.872 --> 00:38:12.212
gave them to his wife and we were like sell them all off give the money to this

00:38:12.212 --> 00:38:17.212
charity you know just let let's make this show about this right so.

00:38:18.052 --> 00:38:22.532
When we got there and we got the tent set up i said levi i gotta go look at this car,

00:38:23.192 --> 00:38:29.652
because i'm gonna win it of course i didn't win it but anyway i went over to look at it

00:38:29.752 --> 00:38:37.212
was a 73 like my first car and i was like look at this i love this i was like

00:38:37.212 --> 00:38:42.032
oh i hope i win it mike because he was he was polishing it you know i was like

00:38:42.032 --> 00:38:45.092
man mike i hope i win it i'll be part of the community again.

00:38:45.292 --> 00:38:47.952
And he just stopped and he looked at me and he said, Sherry,

00:38:48.172 --> 00:38:50.032
you're already part of the community.

00:38:50.392 --> 00:38:53.552
And you know, it almost brought tears to my eyes.

00:38:53.672 --> 00:38:59.632
I mean, it's just sometimes people's humanity is what other people need, you know?

00:39:00.272 --> 00:39:03.492
I do. And then to touch on that even more, I

00:39:03.492 --> 00:39:06.432
know it kind of surprised you as you

00:39:06.432 --> 00:39:09.392
approach this vehicle and you notice now

00:39:09.392 --> 00:39:12.312
i say vehicle this beetle and you

00:39:12.312 --> 00:39:15.552
notice now that there are a lot of small added

00:39:15.552 --> 00:39:20.712
personal touches right like your band logo paw prints you know all that type

00:39:20.712 --> 00:39:24.572
of stuff how'd that feel you know just it was almost like the gift that kept

00:39:24.572 --> 00:39:33.452
giving right yes yes totally and then the the the door panels are tied i the the um sig.

00:39:34.126 --> 00:39:36.926
The the headliners tie-dye and it's funny

00:39:36.926 --> 00:39:39.626
because he wanted to use one of our tie-dyes for the

00:39:39.626 --> 00:39:42.806
headliner and he was like but i couldn't cut up that art

00:39:42.806 --> 00:39:45.546
i was like oh man i like that's all

00:39:45.546 --> 00:39:48.966
right because we have some tight eyes that we can put you

00:39:48.966 --> 00:39:52.286
know put in there so that's probably you

00:39:52.286 --> 00:39:55.086
know something we're going to do in the future but it it was

00:39:55.086 --> 00:39:58.066
it blew my mind and he and he just kept telling me

00:39:58.066 --> 00:40:01.286
things i mean he kept trying so

00:40:01.286 --> 00:40:04.846
hard he just handed me keys to a car and

00:40:04.846 --> 00:40:08.586
then he started to tell me the things about it and i

00:40:08.586 --> 00:40:11.826
i was trying to listen but i

00:40:11.826 --> 00:40:16.146
was looking at it in the portrait right and

00:40:16.146 --> 00:40:22.106
the logo and the bear just the bear on the hood of the car you know and then

00:40:22.106 --> 00:40:27.226
we walked around the back and the tag said tie-dye I have it hanging up here

00:40:27.226 --> 00:40:33.566
tie-dye on it and I was just like Levi look it's our bear Levi look it's this

00:40:33.566 --> 00:40:35.066
tie-dye you know it's just,

00:40:35.548 --> 00:40:41.488
It was, it was amazing. And they also put a little vase in there with a yellow

00:40:41.488 --> 00:40:43.848
flower. And he said, that stands for friendship.

00:40:44.448 --> 00:40:48.648
And then he put a penny in the ashtray and he said that that was for luck.

00:40:48.868 --> 00:40:52.128
So, I mean, he did all these little things that were just so cool.

00:40:52.128 --> 00:40:58.208
For sure for sure like no little things overlooked what an amazing feeling for

00:40:58.208 --> 00:41:03.848
sure how has owning owsley now changed the day-to-day life or maybe even the

00:41:03.848 --> 00:41:07.708
way that you connect with people it shows like you said you're you're back you're

00:41:07.708 --> 00:41:10.028
part of the part of the community again right.

00:41:10.908 --> 00:41:13.848
Oh yeah oh yeah it's a blast we

00:41:13.848 --> 00:41:17.368
just went we drove him to volksgiving

00:41:17.368 --> 00:41:20.548
oh and that was heard about that cool yeah

00:41:20.548 --> 00:41:23.508
yeah man it's it's

00:41:23.508 --> 00:41:26.588
totally worth going to there was like over 100 people there this year

00:41:26.588 --> 00:41:29.368
both wagons and food and we have

00:41:29.368 --> 00:41:32.448
all these coon asses bringing the good food you know

00:41:32.448 --> 00:41:39.208
from new orleans yeah amen there's there's that as well oh there's lots to drink

00:41:39.208 --> 00:41:45.728
and and games to play i mean it was it was really something but driving owsley

00:41:45.728 --> 00:41:50.928
there that was the first Volkswagen event we drove him to so far,

00:41:51.448 --> 00:41:56.728
but you guys have any plans for Owsley?

00:41:56.868 --> 00:42:00.048
Are you going to keep him how he is? Or is there any mods or any,

00:42:00.148 --> 00:42:03.608
any, anything you're going to look to change any show you're looking forward to?

00:42:04.648 --> 00:42:10.908
We're going to change the headliner and put an actual bear there because we have it. Yeah.

00:42:11.848 --> 00:42:16.588
Just, you know, some tinkering things, you know, some things don't fit quite.

00:42:16.668 --> 00:42:18.728
As well or were put together.

00:42:20.100 --> 00:42:27.540
Pretty quick so you know i mean mike did build this car in a year from you know nothing and it,

00:42:28.180 --> 00:42:33.780
shout out to paul cave because they did mike schillinger wrote an article about

00:42:33.780 --> 00:42:41.740
owsley in volksmania yeah and it's you know it really it really came a long way.

00:42:42.780 --> 00:42:50.540
Amazing so cool what a great cool thing to happen yes say that again levi Well,

00:42:50.580 --> 00:42:51.820
I like it the way that it is.

00:42:51.940 --> 00:42:54.620
It's all hokey and wrong, but it's the right car.

00:42:54.820 --> 00:42:57.800
It's that's how it's supposed to be. Exactly right. You know,

00:42:57.900 --> 00:43:00.040
if it was perfect, I wouldn't be driving it.

00:43:00.040 --> 00:43:02.880
That's the thing when he gave

00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:05.600
us the keys and we were looking at it I was like oh my

00:43:05.600 --> 00:43:12.300
gosh it's perfect and Mike was like Sherry it's not perfect I said it's so perfect

00:43:12.300 --> 00:43:17.480
to me I mean it was it there's things that don't fit quite right there's you

00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:23.560
know the door rubber is still not pushing clothes very well, but you know,

00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:30.780
I, I, every, every day I get in that car and we smile and we laugh and the people

00:43:30.780 --> 00:43:33.560
that wave and honk their horns at us.

00:43:33.620 --> 00:43:36.020
I mean, it is so cool.

00:43:36.940 --> 00:43:43.180
It for sure is. That's a feeling that unless you own one, it's almost impossible

00:43:43.180 --> 00:43:50.200
to describe Because you truly get to see how an automobile creates joy in people,

00:43:50.440 --> 00:43:53.980
whether it's a story they're telling you about from their childhood or,

00:43:54.080 --> 00:43:58.420
oh, my girlfriend in college had a car like that or just always something, right?

00:43:58.600 --> 00:44:03.700
There's always a story with it. So I think that's the amazing part for sure.

00:44:05.274 --> 00:44:12.814
Levi, I got a question for you. How do you balance art, family, business, and music?

00:44:14.214 --> 00:44:15.174
I don't.

00:44:18.094 --> 00:44:18.974
I fail.

00:44:22.014 --> 00:44:25.434
I fail and I just hope that people are cool with that.

00:44:25.874 --> 00:44:28.814
Okay. That's a good answer. That is a good answer, man.

00:44:28.834 --> 00:44:32.154
I'll take it because you have to be willing to fail in order to ever succeed,

00:44:32.314 --> 00:44:34.674
right? How about for Sherry, then?

00:44:34.814 --> 00:44:37.054
Sherry, what drives your creative energy?

00:44:37.934 --> 00:44:47.674
Being here, being my home with the nature, with forests, not even using English correctly.

00:44:49.961 --> 00:44:55.961
Just nature and being home and, and, and having the need to create,

00:44:55.961 --> 00:45:01.461
you know, I've always needed to create from, you know, my whole life.

00:45:01.861 --> 00:45:08.681
Just it's, it's, it's wellbeing for me. Quality of life.

00:45:09.541 --> 00:45:13.161
Yes. Yes. Love that. Yes.

00:45:13.641 --> 00:45:17.941
Levi, you got anything there on quality of life? No, I'm still thinking about

00:45:17.941 --> 00:45:19.781
something that was kind of left out.

00:45:19.961 --> 00:45:23.121
See i really like it when this happens i think mike schillinger

00:45:23.121 --> 00:45:26.041
is obnoxious he just is he's just

00:45:26.041 --> 00:45:29.101
an obnoxious human being right right what you

00:45:29.101 --> 00:45:31.881
would expect from a human being like that is for him to

00:45:31.881 --> 00:45:36.561
be a certain way and then he gives you a car and you're like no that ain't right

00:45:36.561 --> 00:45:43.521
and it's a thing in a way that i i like it when that happens because it's it

00:45:43.521 --> 00:45:47.581
it resets your brain so that you don't judge people and you you know people

00:45:47.581 --> 00:45:51.501
can be obnoxious and kind and people can be, you know.

00:45:51.921 --> 00:45:56.701
Yeah, dude, that's like art, I feel like, you know, and maybe it takes an artist

00:45:56.701 --> 00:45:58.061
to see the world like that.

00:45:58.201 --> 00:46:01.401
But yeah, you almost have to take the bad with the good.

00:46:02.021 --> 00:46:05.141
It can love you and make you feel uncomfortable at the same time.

00:46:05.221 --> 00:46:09.301
It almost has to. And Mike Schillinger, man, he is that.

00:46:10.061 --> 00:46:13.881
We love him. And I do. I love the guy. He's awesome.

00:46:15.461 --> 00:46:19.481
So let's talk about advice maybe. What advice would you guys give to couples

00:46:19.481 --> 00:46:23.941
who want to build something and maybe even have a business like you guys do,

00:46:23.941 --> 00:46:25.461
maybe even in the Volkswagen community?

00:46:26.381 --> 00:46:33.481
Listen, listen, listen. And, you know, don't dismiss anything.

00:46:34.072 --> 00:46:37.132
All the ideas just listen and

00:46:37.132 --> 00:46:40.632
think and you know communicate that's my

00:46:40.632 --> 00:46:43.392
best answer that's profound because there's a

00:46:43.392 --> 00:46:48.292
lot of people like bill that guy knows everything about everything he just does

00:46:48.292 --> 00:46:52.632
and to not listen to a man like that is absurd you're talking about wild bill

00:46:52.632 --> 00:46:57.672
yeah man wild bill from pensacola he's the volkswagen guy he knows everything

00:46:57.672 --> 00:47:02.092
about everything and and and And, you know, he's the man.

00:47:02.252 --> 00:47:07.012
And it's cool because the Volkswagen community is filled with people like that.

00:47:07.292 --> 00:47:12.032
And for people to show up and act like they know stuff when you're surrounded

00:47:12.032 --> 00:47:13.552
by people like that, that's.

00:47:14.340 --> 00:47:18.560
I vibe with that, and I'll tell you that's the reason solely that I started

00:47:18.560 --> 00:47:25.740
this podcast is because I was at almost just the end of my patience of dealing

00:47:25.740 --> 00:47:33.700
with how many people I've met that are just as awesome as you can possibly be as a mechanic,

00:47:33.700 --> 00:47:36.240
as an artist, as a musician,

00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:41.180
as a whatever, whatever they do. These VW people, man, they're special.

00:47:41.940 --> 00:47:47.400
And, you know, I'm like, you know, this idea came to me even a couple of years ago.

00:47:47.600 --> 00:47:50.400
I'm like, somebody needs to celebrate the people of this community,

00:47:50.400 --> 00:47:52.900
you know, and it just didn't come together yet.

00:47:53.060 --> 00:47:57.300
We, me and my buddy keep working on, you know, a few events that we do down here and everything.

00:47:57.300 --> 00:48:00.780
But yeah finally about October

00:48:00.780 --> 00:48:03.540
or November of last year I was like you

00:48:03.540 --> 00:48:06.620
know what I'm gonna start a podcast that celebrates

00:48:06.620 --> 00:48:12.520
the artists the people the craftsmen and just the everyday folks of of the Volkswagen

00:48:12.520 --> 00:48:16.420
community because there's always a story and it's always deep and it's always

00:48:16.420 --> 00:48:22.300
connected and I feel like there's a lot of soul in this opportunity so that's

00:48:22.300 --> 00:48:25.340
it man and And again, that's why I did it.

00:48:25.520 --> 00:48:27.860
It's a very kind of, yeah.

00:48:28.740 --> 00:48:33.400
Don't you question that, though? It's a car, man. How does that make sense?

00:48:33.620 --> 00:48:37.620
All of that that you just said is spot on. You're right.

00:48:37.860 --> 00:48:44.340
And it doesn't matter because Volkswagen people can be Nazis or they can be hippies.

00:48:44.420 --> 00:48:48.280
But either way, it's the same quality human being.

00:48:48.300 --> 00:48:52.700
And I don't get that. I don't understand why that exists where there's this

00:48:52.700 --> 00:49:00.200
car, but it can't exist around music or art or politics or Corvette or Corvette. Yeah.

00:49:03.780 --> 00:49:07.140
So I, so look, man, like we could probably talk about this forever,

00:49:07.140 --> 00:49:13.120
but I feel like it's like, it's, it's, it's what's a, it's what the community,

00:49:13.180 --> 00:49:18.120
the community of Volkswagen people are attracted to. And I think it's the lack of judgment. Yeah.

00:49:18.715 --> 00:49:25.255
But overall, I think the big picture is this is a community where it doesn't

00:49:25.255 --> 00:49:31.835
matter what color or what ethnicity or what country or what it doesn't matter.

00:49:31.975 --> 00:49:36.935
Any of that matters. It's this togetherness and this acceptance because everybody,

00:49:37.155 --> 00:49:39.275
you know, they all trick out their cars different ways.

00:49:39.455 --> 00:49:42.555
You know, there's the purists and there's the low riders and there's the,

00:49:42.695 --> 00:49:44.775
you know, and everybody has like a different vibe.

00:49:44.775 --> 00:49:47.735
There's the beachy ones, there's the classy ones, there's the ones that are,

00:49:47.755 --> 00:49:51.295
you know, rat rods with metal interior and the ones that are all pretty and

00:49:51.295 --> 00:49:56.535
gushy and, but here's the cool thing at a show or even at, you know,

00:49:56.795 --> 00:49:59.955
a ride, so to speak, there's no judgment.

00:50:00.692 --> 00:50:03.632
And I feel like for what just to talk on what you guys said,

00:50:03.752 --> 00:50:09.032
I feel like I've even been to Corvette shows, Mustang shows where it ain't the same.

00:50:09.212 --> 00:50:13.912
There's a whole lot of judgment. And if you pull up and it's too low or if it's

00:50:13.912 --> 00:50:18.272
too loud or if your top's down and it should have been up or if it's white and

00:50:18.272 --> 00:50:20.112
if it's white and it should have been black,

00:50:20.292 --> 00:50:25.612
like it's like, man, it's crazy to see the type of judgment that exists outside

00:50:25.612 --> 00:50:27.092
of the Volkswagen community.

00:50:27.092 --> 00:50:31.312
So that's it, man I'm not going to steal any more thunder But that's why I feel

00:50:31.312 --> 00:50:40.232
like the community is so attractive to people Because it's the lack of judgment Yes Wow,

00:50:40.912 --> 00:50:46.532
that's going to set off a whole series of I never arrived at that place But

00:50:46.532 --> 00:50:51.692
you're right And it's funny because Why can't that exist?

00:50:52.992 --> 00:50:57.832
We're picking on Corvettes And I don't like that Let's pick on something else

00:50:57.832 --> 00:51:00.672
Let's pick on the Camaro Okay.

00:51:02.232 --> 00:51:07.672
Why can't they appreciate the genius That you know Some dude needed to fix this

00:51:07.672 --> 00:51:11.812
And this is what he had Like a Coke bottle and a piece of string And he did

00:51:11.812 --> 00:51:14.332
that 10 years ago And it's still right dad,

00:51:15.052 --> 00:51:19.272
Right right right I don't understand why a Volkswagen guy Can look at that and

00:51:19.272 --> 00:51:24.572
go wow dude That is genius And a Camaro guy just like can't,

00:51:25.892 --> 00:51:28.992
yeah do they not have a sense of humor or

00:51:28.992 --> 00:51:32.092
or what is it uh was the

00:51:32.092 --> 00:51:36.732
initiative to to to to find like original solutions or something i don't know

00:51:36.732 --> 00:51:41.312
i don't know what it is i think it's i never i've never equated that to judgment

00:51:41.312 --> 00:51:46.872
but that's uh that's an interesting i'll be thinking about that yeah yeah all

00:51:46.872 --> 00:51:50.852
right well let's touch here what's next for tripping seat volkswagen shows,

00:51:51.732 --> 00:51:56.092
trying to really focus we're really trying to change our business model because

00:51:56.092 --> 00:51:58.592
we're kind of getting a little old.

00:51:59.952 --> 00:52:04.592
We're trying to do more online trying to get more you know,

00:52:05.428 --> 00:52:08.588
exposure online orders online but

00:52:08.588 --> 00:52:11.428
hanging on to the volkswagen shows as many as

00:52:11.428 --> 00:52:15.268
we can make it to my man

00:52:15.268 --> 00:52:19.848
the ultimate would be to get down there for that you know for bug jam that would

00:52:19.848 --> 00:52:24.828
be that would be something but um yeah we we just went through it just a couple

00:52:24.828 --> 00:52:29.328
weeks ago and uh we've got some shows here that you guys one of them for sure

00:52:29.328 --> 00:52:32.768
that you guys would love and the we would love you too.

00:52:33.128 --> 00:52:36.888
But V-dubs on the pier is downtown St.

00:52:37.028 --> 00:52:41.468
Pete, right to the left side of, if you're facing it, the St.

00:52:41.548 --> 00:52:45.308
Petersburg Pier, which is an iconic location. But it's right in the middle of

00:52:45.308 --> 00:52:46.528
downtown and it's crazy.

00:52:46.668 --> 00:52:50.768
It's very expensive, the permits and the time and all of that that we have to

00:52:50.768 --> 00:52:54.228
apply for and qualify for and pay the city, et cetera.

00:52:54.428 --> 00:52:57.908
It's all worth it when there's 200 cars sitting out there. And,

00:52:57.908 --> 00:53:01.928
and, and these, by the way, you're, you can't get your car out there unless

00:53:01.928 --> 00:53:03.948
it's some type of a special event or something.

00:53:04.168 --> 00:53:08.088
So the pictures and everything are crazy, but we'd love to have you guys.

00:53:08.208 --> 00:53:09.608
That was the point. That was the point.

00:53:10.808 --> 00:53:15.108
Oh yeah. And, and bug jam, you got to make bug jam at some point.

00:53:15.268 --> 00:53:17.548
It's to me, it's just, it's a vibe in itself.

00:53:18.108 --> 00:53:21.208
It, to me, it's, it's probably one of the biggest, you know,

00:53:21.608 --> 00:53:25.468
Volkswagen car shows I've ever seen, ever been a part of, ever been to.

00:53:25.928 --> 00:53:29.648
And it's only gotten better over the years. I mean, I go all the way back to

00:53:29.648 --> 00:53:34.848
the 90s when it was in Zephyr Hills and before it was at the location it's at,

00:53:35.048 --> 00:53:38.548
long before it was at the Dade City Fairgrounds, it was still a thing,

00:53:38.568 --> 00:53:42.308
even back into the early 90s. But I used to go the same thing.

00:53:42.468 --> 00:53:46.528
I'd show up and be like, wow, man, a lot of people have these old Volkswagens.

00:53:46.848 --> 00:53:51.388
I didn't realize that it was that big of a scene even back then.

00:53:51.648 --> 00:53:56.608
Man, it's way cool now. Definitely have to make bug jam if you ever can.

00:53:57.236 --> 00:54:02.396
Yeah, I remember I used to read about it in hot BW's magazine whenever you know

00:54:02.396 --> 00:54:08.456
in the in the 90s when I was You know tinkering with my my volkswagen And another

00:54:08.456 --> 00:54:13.196
thing is too that I didn't mention earlier was the 66 that I had.

00:54:14.056 --> 00:54:17.576
We actually entered that in the Biloxi show down here.

00:54:17.716 --> 00:54:26.516
It was 2004 and We we spray painted it we spray painted the whole car Because

00:54:26.516 --> 00:54:32.476
it started to get surface rest We wanted to fix it Anyway, I actually placed at that show See?

00:54:33.156 --> 00:54:39.836
No judgment Yeah, exactly And it was under construction It was awesome though

00:54:39.836 --> 00:54:47.616
But I don't know If I can get to it If I can get to a Volkswagen show I would really like to maintain.

00:54:48.556 --> 00:54:53.016
Working Volkswagen shows I think that would be awesome Okay,

00:54:53.016 --> 00:54:55.456
I just think you'd look at that all wrong, man.

00:54:55.636 --> 00:55:00.816
I'm proud of the paint job that we put on that car because it did it with a spray can.

00:55:01.256 --> 00:55:04.896
We did. It was magical. It was beautiful. It really was.

00:55:05.356 --> 00:55:08.936
And obviously it was to some other folks too because it plays. Yes.

00:55:10.636 --> 00:55:13.976
Alright, I got some rapid fire questions. These are like questions that would

00:55:13.976 --> 00:55:16.656
demand a fast answer, fast response.

00:55:17.116 --> 00:55:21.196
If a story evolves, cool, so be it. But if it doesn't, don't feel bad.

00:55:21.196 --> 00:55:23.056
We don't have to waste a whole lot of time on these.

00:55:23.156 --> 00:55:26.176
These were supposed to be Straight to the point and fast, all right?

00:55:26.696 --> 00:55:29.656
All right. All right, are we ready? 42.

00:55:31.736 --> 00:55:37.716
Lou, 42! All right, favorite VW model of all time?

00:55:37.876 --> 00:55:41.316
Now, this could be one that you haven't owned or even one that you have,

00:55:41.316 --> 00:55:44.236
but what is your favorite model of all time? All of them.

00:55:44.822 --> 00:55:49.822
What's yours? Oh, God. I don't know. I don't know if I can do that.

00:55:50.162 --> 00:55:53.902
I really, I don't know what year it was, but the one that looked like the accordion

00:55:53.902 --> 00:55:56.622
thing with the top, I think those are so cool.

00:55:57.282 --> 00:56:01.042
I've seen like a Westie camper. Like a West Valley camper.

00:56:01.522 --> 00:56:05.842
So it's like mid-70s. I mean, they made, you know, camper style like that even

00:56:05.842 --> 00:56:07.682
all the way back, you know, into the 60s.

00:56:07.762 --> 00:56:11.782
But I think for what you're talking about, the accordion looking West Valley at top.

00:56:11.982 --> 00:56:15.542
Yeah. Well, you get the one where it opens like this and then you got one that

00:56:15.542 --> 00:56:20.242
opens like this Yeah, and it looks like an accordion thing. Yeah. Yeah.

00:56:20.862 --> 00:56:25.782
I like I sundown. I think that's how you made those Okay. All right. Well sundowns.

00:56:26.222 --> 00:56:31.262
I really like the sundowns. Okay, but a favorite one man I don't know this stuff.

00:56:31.802 --> 00:56:37.642
I know I'm really digging the early 70s bugs But the other day I saw fastback

00:56:37.642 --> 00:56:41.762
and then I saw a square back and then I saw a thing.

00:56:42.302 --> 00:56:47.102
I'm sorry. I just, that's a hard question. I'm just going to say all of them.

00:56:48.842 --> 00:56:53.662
I can take all of them. What? Yeah. Sherry, what, what song,

00:56:53.822 --> 00:56:56.282
what music are we blasting? If we're cruising in the beetle?

00:56:56.782 --> 00:57:01.202
46 and two. 46, 46 and two. I was listening to that the other day.

00:57:01.402 --> 00:57:03.862
I just, I love tool. So tool.

00:57:04.502 --> 00:57:08.302
Yeah. Okay. Tool. I'll, I'll, I'll take it.

00:57:08.782 --> 00:57:13.822
All right. That wouldn't be Levi's answer, though He was talking about Zeppelin

00:57:13.822 --> 00:57:19.362
Fall music, man It's a brown tone It's like, you know, dimgy old Like,

00:57:19.482 --> 00:57:22.342
blues material That vibe,

00:57:23.302 --> 00:57:28.582
Okay But you know, I'm good with it What's messier?

00:57:28.922 --> 00:57:31.982
Tie-dye or Acrylics?

00:57:32.402 --> 00:57:38.422
Easy tie-dye Tie-dye, okay Tie-dye for sure, especially if I'm dying See,

00:57:38.562 --> 00:57:42.382
because usually I fold And then I go in there and die And Levi's like,

00:57:42.502 --> 00:57:47.262
oh my god, you made a mess Yes, I make a mess I make a mess,

00:57:48.144 --> 00:57:54.564
One word for each of you, both of you get to answer it. One word that describes the VW community.

00:57:55.044 --> 00:57:59.604
Kind. Kind. Kind. All right, both of us. Kind. All right.

00:58:00.424 --> 00:58:06.704
If you could take Owsley anywhere in the world, where's the first stop?

00:58:07.564 --> 00:58:09.524
Eugene, Oregon or Asheville.

00:58:10.764 --> 00:58:14.604
Asheville's great. I've been to Eugene as well. Asheville's gorgeous.

00:58:14.604 --> 00:58:17.624
Different mountains, certainly, different coastal, you know,

00:58:17.664 --> 00:58:21.464
whole thing, but both pretty awesome locations.

00:58:22.424 --> 00:58:30.064
Eugene is, oh, it was, Ken Kesey's home. There would be no Owsley without Ken Kesey. Yes.

00:58:30.584 --> 00:58:35.044
So Owsley originated there. We should drive Owsley to Eugene.

00:58:36.384 --> 00:58:43.844
Drive him home. Yes. How about a dream guest musician, dead or alive,

00:58:43.944 --> 00:58:46.764
to collaborate with? For me, it would be Dave Grohl.

00:58:47.304 --> 00:58:53.084
Ooh, cool. I'd be hip to collaborate with him. I mean, he plays everything.

00:58:54.204 --> 00:58:57.544
So it'd be like, oh, wait, we need a drummer, Dave. Hey, man,

00:58:57.624 --> 00:58:58.764
we need a bass player, Dave.

00:58:59.844 --> 00:59:02.404
We need some words here, Dave. Dave.

00:59:03.564 --> 00:59:04.564
What do you think?

00:59:05.944 --> 00:59:10.344
Well, it depends. Like, see, I just like to just hang out with Willie Nelson

00:59:10.344 --> 00:59:11.924
because he's Willie Nelson.

00:59:12.244 --> 00:59:16.604
But like, you know, in a practical sense, man, I think John Baptiste,

00:59:16.784 --> 00:59:22.224
because he can do anything, like anything imaginable that God understands it.

00:59:22.344 --> 00:59:28.204
And I think that he would want to hang out with somebody like me that doesn't know anything.

00:59:29.724 --> 00:59:30.444
Come on.

00:59:33.464 --> 00:59:36.384
And he's from New Orleans, and I kind of dig that. Yeah.

00:59:37.864 --> 00:59:41.964
What color best describes life right now for both of you? Green.

00:59:42.959 --> 00:59:46.919
I'll take it. Green. Green is the best color.

00:59:48.139 --> 00:59:52.379
Yes, it is. I know. What a beautiful car you've got. I tried to incorporate

00:59:52.379 --> 00:59:54.359
both of your cars in that shirt.

00:59:54.679 --> 01:00:00.759
Thank you. My Carmen Ghia is my wife's. My favorite color green is forest green.

01:00:01.239 --> 01:00:07.259
So that car is my favorite color green. And I've always been just a green's

01:00:07.259 --> 01:00:10.019
always been one of my favorite colors of all different shades.

01:00:10.259 --> 01:00:16.999
And And yeah, still is to this day. So this suits me probably way better than you ever imagined.

01:00:17.279 --> 01:00:19.299
Even though you just said, hey, what are the color of the cars?

01:00:19.879 --> 01:00:24.379
It still showed up. And I'm like, come on, man. Spot on.

01:00:24.959 --> 01:00:27.699
Hit it on the head, man. This is, yeah. All right.

01:00:27.799 --> 01:00:33.099
Last question I've got for you both. And we've done great, but I've taken enough of your time.

01:00:33.599 --> 01:00:36.859
All right. I want you to finish this sentence for me. Each of you.

01:00:37.099 --> 01:00:41.579
All right. The VW community is Where I fit in.

01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:51.159
I think the VW community Is what's left of the spirit of America Damn man That

01:00:51.159 --> 01:00:57.619
needs to be a t-shirt baby Hey we're in the business That was awesome Yeah,

01:00:58.443 --> 01:01:02.503
So you guys, thank you guys so much. I feel like you guys are living proof that

01:01:02.503 --> 01:01:06.783
passion, that art, that community can build something obviously bigger than

01:01:06.783 --> 01:01:10.663
cars or even bigger than business. And you both said it, it's family.

01:01:10.863 --> 01:01:14.403
So from the heartbreak of Katrina to the surprise of Owsley,

01:01:14.423 --> 01:01:19.483
the beetle, you guys have turned tie dye into a beautiful lifestyle.

01:01:19.883 --> 01:01:24.663
You guys go support Trippin' Seed, tie dye, listen to the social mosaic,

01:01:25.003 --> 01:01:27.923
keep spreading the VW you love, because like,

01:01:28.543 --> 01:01:33.483
even though the energy might be off with Mike Schillinger, because that's what

01:01:33.483 --> 01:01:37.383
you said, you're still part of the community.

01:01:37.763 --> 01:01:41.403
So again, thank you guys. I appreciate your time. And that's a wrap for this

01:01:41.403 --> 01:01:43.263
episode of Dub Life Diaries.

01:01:43.563 --> 01:01:47.323
Thanks for riding along with us and diving into these incredible stories of

01:01:47.323 --> 01:01:49.383
the people in the dubs that drive their dreams.

01:01:49.623 --> 01:01:54.183
If you loved today's episode, don't forget to subscribe or hit that follow button

01:01:54.183 --> 01:01:55.523
so you never miss an adventure.

01:01:55.823 --> 01:02:00.483
Do you have a story to tell or know somebody else who's living the dove life? Awesome.

01:02:00.823 --> 01:02:05.803
Reach out to us. You can find us on all socials at Dove Life Diaries or shoot

01:02:05.803 --> 01:02:07.583
me an email. I'm not hard to find.

01:02:08.463 --> 01:02:13.343
DoveLifeDiaries at gmail.com. Until next time, keep the engines humming and

01:02:13.343 --> 01:02:16.743
the wheels turning and always follow the road that inspires you.

01:02:16.923 --> 01:02:20.763
This is Joe Person. I'm signing off. I'll catch you on the next.