The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1354 - The Black Keys
CHAPTERS
- 0:01 – 1:04
Warm-up banter: “late night TV,” Oprah jokes, and needing a real scientist
Joe welcomes Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney and they riff on how the podcast has replaced late-night TV for them. The conversation quickly turns into joking about building an “Oprah-style” cast—complete with a real science advisor—and poking fun at celebrity doctors.
- 1:04 – 2:30
Reality-TV absurdity: judge-show bailiffs, corruption jokes, and setups
They spiral into a comedic discussion about courtroom TV shows and whether the bailiffs are real cops. The bit expands into imagined scenarios of jealousy, corruption, and conspiratorial “setups” when someone gets a cushy TV gig.
- 2:30 – 3:16
OJ Simpson on Twitter and the wild world of athlete social media
Joe brings up OJ Simpson’s surreal Twitter presence and how the replies predictably devolve into murder jokes. Dan counters with stories of niche celebrity fandom (OJ T-shirt collections) and shifts to the chaos of Jose Canseco’s online persona.
- 3:16 – 7:27
Jose Canseco: Bigfoot tents, steroids talk, and mismatched MMA fights
Dan and Joe unpack Canseco’s eccentricity—Bigfoot “expertise,” bizarre claims, and the steroid era’s aftermath. The conversation veers into size myths (Andre the Giant), and then to Canseco’s ill-advised MMA bout against Hong Man Choi and other odd fight appearances.
- 7:27 – 13:40
Doping ethics: Tour de France logic, kid influence, and hormonal fallout
They debate why performance-enhancing drugs are policed differently than other harmful behaviors like alcohol. The core concern becomes downstream effects on kids, followed by a grounded discussion of steroid cycles, estrogen blockers, and post-cycle depression.
- 13:40 – 19:21
Dan quits smoking: cold turkey, weight gain, and the psychology of relapse
Dan details a dramatic, intentional “last night” of cigarettes and beer before quitting for good—motivated by impending fatherhood. They explore nicotine’s appetite effects, the deceptive “one weekend a year” bargain, and why addiction specialists would warn against reopening the door.
- 19:21 – 22:16
Vaping, JUUL culture, and unintended consequences (kids, lungs, and regulation)
The conversation shifts to vaping—why Dan hates it, how it spread among teens, and how uncertain health headlines circulate without context. They weigh government regulation, kid access, and compare availability of weed vs cigarettes in high school culture.
- 22:16 – 31:08
Health fears to existential stress: heavy metals, mines, pesticides, and doctor bedside manner
Dan and Joe trade stories tying environmental exposure to cancer risk—mining waste, pesticides, heavy metals, and family anecdotes. This becomes a broader critique of how medicine can feel uncertain and anxiety-inducing, especially when providers communicate poorly.
- 31:08 – 36:56
Stage anxiety and panic attacks: festivals, Red Bulls, and learning to stay present
Patrick opens up about panic attacks onstage and how a tiny mistake can trigger a mental spiral—especially under exhaustion and pressure. They discuss coping frameworks, the intrusive thoughts performers get, and a key turning point at Lollapalooza 2010.
- 36:56 – 40:19
Hypnosis as performance therapy: Palladium relief, Grammys “smile programming,” and the mushrooms origin story
Patrick describes seeing a hypnotist to handle stage fright—working surprisingly well but leading to an infamous sleepwalking-in-underwear moment. Joe shares his own hypnosis experience, and Patrick traces his first panic sensation back to an overwhelming psychedelic mushroom experience on tour.
- 40:19 – 46:58
The Grammys and the machinery of validation: Neil Young, Bieber/TMZ, and why awards feel hollow
Patrick breaks down how surreal the Grammys felt—winning early, watching legends receive first-time awards, and realizing the system doesn’t map to artistic importance. A TMZ question about Bieber ignites a mini controversy, reinforcing their skepticism of industry spectacle.
- 46:58 – 3:13:47
Music industry economics: anti-bundling stance, streaming payouts, curation failure, and surviving labels
They explain why they refused ticket/merch album bundling and how metrics-driven strategies distort music-making. From Spotify economics to radio programming and A&R incompetence, they argue taste-based curation has been replaced by social media numbers—hurting new artists most.
