Episode 257: Painting Big, Thinking Bigger with Amanda Danae Hilsabeck This week on The Mike & Tony Show, we welcome Amanda Danae Hilsabeck — muralist, marketing advisor, and creative force behind Mighty Fine Artistry — who somehow also proves (once again) that Mike knows everyone and will randomly run into them in places that make no sense. Amanda takes us through her journey from jaw-dropping, hyper-realistic pet portraits (seriously… they’re unfairly good) to large-scale murals and what she calls “mural activation” — where art meets branding and businesses actually learn how to use their murals instead of just… having them. From a massive American flag mural in a gym to an emotional family portrait of people who’d never all been together at once, her work is both impressive and meaningful. She also brought her hetero lifemate Aubrey, who is quietly hilarious and jumps into the mix as we spiral into conversations about perfectionism (Tony feels very seen), why unfinished art and songs haunt your soul, and why Victor, Colorado suddenly sounds like somewhere we all need to move immediately. Elsewhere in this episode: Mike ties (and wears) his first-ever bow tie thanks to YouTube We talk gyms, workouts, and health-tracking devices judging us silently Sports talk hits all the majors: football, basketball, baseball Chipotle and Starbucks are both adding protein menus… which raises questions We debate whether the 1970s might be the greatest music decade ever (yes, Karen Carpenter enters the chat) And we wrap it all up with our Top Five Christmas Songs, because why not? Art, marketing, music, murals, muscle, and mild chaos — this one’s got range. Follow Amanda: @mightyfineartistry Mighty Fine Artistry ️ You know the deal — hit play. Cheers! m&t

Tony’s bike stayed parked this week thanks to Mother Nature (moment of silence). His beard, however, remains 100% undyed — and will stay that way forever. Yes, we spent an appropriate amount of time discussing our greying hair like the distinguished elders we are. Then it’s Spotify Wrapped season, baby. We share our personal Wrapped confessions before diving into The Mike and Tony Show’s 2025 Wrapped — and let’s just say… things are looking up for us: • More shares than 89% of shows • Longer listening time than 83% • Higher ratings than 75% • Top 20% of Spotify video podcasts • Listenership up 557% this year We shout out our top episode, our international listeners (what’s up Germany, Israel, Australia, Canada ), and take a peek at what YOU listen to — from Morgan Wallen to Kendrick Lamar, JRE to Tucker Carlson. Somewhere along the way, we also cover: AI videos getting scarier, Will Smith chaos, tarantulas living with frogs, coconut crabs that could absolutely murder you, reindeer that turn into X-Men in winter, Skynet (probably not… but also maybe), and how tiny and insignificant our planet really is. Fun stuff. And just when you think it’s safe to relax… Tony ends the show with a historical medical story so unhinged we probably should’ve saved it for Halloween. You’ve been warned. ️ Thank you for all the love and support this year! Cheers! m&t

Fresh off the turkey hangover, Mike and Tony sit down to unpack all the holiday chaos. Tony boldly declares his wife made the best turkey of all time—a bold claim indeed. In other Turkey Day-related news, Mike has cooked turkey in basically every form known to mankind… except fried. (Seriously, Mike. How??) Tony also goes on a rant about the fall time change, starts finally sorting the mountain of sports cards he inherited from his dad, and discovers that his OCD has very clear opinions about what belongs in the Bears Pile, the Hall-of-Farmers pile, and the “How is this not worth more than three bucks!” pile. We talk man caves (yes, the studio counts), Stranger Things returning, Tony’s daughter binging Harry Potter, and that one year Tony didn’t serve turkey at all—still unacceptable, Tony. From there we spiral into turkey brines (not literally), how COVID feels like it was 50 years ago, and how impossibly fast everything is changing—nanotech, AI, ChatGPT… the whole “what is happening to reality” vibe. Also covered: • Rich gamers who just straight-up buy power • Tony raging at video games that demand too much thumb dexterity • Couch Guy sightings (rare, but real) • Being a forty-something trying to lose weight during holiday season • Mike doing CrossFit occasionally, which is definitely not how CrossFit works • Nick, the giant hard-dribbling basketball terminator • Tony’s IT coworker who eats raw ground beef daily and somehow looks like a Marvel character • A surprisingly deep dive into which meats you can technically eat raw (but… why?) • And finally: Florida now has Nile Crocs and wild macaques, because Florida refuses to be out-weirded by anyone. Another classic Merry Chaos episode. Enjoy. Cheers! m&t

Tony survives a horrendous weed trip and swears off the stuff for good , while Mike returns from Mexico with legs that look like they lost a war with a sand flea army . He’s still somehow the life of the party — and already planning his retirement south of the border . The guys also dive into some wild headlines: Crows hold grudges and might be as smart as your 7-year-old. MTV finally signs off after 44 years — RIP to music videos. ⚾️ Dock Ellis once pitched a perfect game on LSD (no-hitter on a high). A shocking update on Tupac’s “Brenda’s Got a Baby” — the real baby was found through Ancestry.com after decades. This one’s got everything: pain, redemption, science, baseball, and poetic justice — basically “The Mike & Tony Show” in a nutshell. Cheers! m&t #TheMikeAndTonyShow #PodcastLife #ComedyPodcast #MusicTalk #WeedStories #MTV #TrueStories #CrowsAreSmart #Tupac #DockEllis #AcidTrip #MexicoAdventures

It’s a good ole’ Friday night on The Mike & Tony Show, which means two things: We start with normal topics like pickleball… …and somehow end up talking about creatures that explode toxic butt-juice at their enemies. ‍♂️ This week we kick things off debating the “gentleman’s sports”: pickleball, badminton, tennis, and which one secretly launches balls at 190 miles per freakin’ hour (spoiler: it’s NOT pickleball unless you’re playing against an angry retiree). From there we dive directly into the What Even Is Nature Doing? segment: Fire ants building living, shape-shifting bridges out of their own bodies like tiny red construction workers with zero OSHA regulations. The Werewolf Mouse — an actual creature that sheds its skin like it’s auditioning for a horror film, then regrows everything like Wolverine on steroids. Hydrogels — the shape-shifting, skin-imitating, brain-mimicking goo that sounds like it escaped from a Marvel lab. Lemurs getting high on millipedes like tiny, furry Deadheads. Root Fires (Zombie Fires) — wildfires that won’t die, just like that one friend who refuses to leave your house after the party. The Bombardier Beetle, a creature whose defense mechanism is basically “BUTT FLAMETHROWER, ACTIVATE.” Caterpillars turning themselves into complete biological soup and then rebuilding like it’s no big deal. And then… we get real. We talk Albert Einstein the activist, his stance against racism, his support for the falsely accused Black teens in 1931, his connection with W.E.B. Du Bois, and how he immersed himself in Black communities long before it was socially safe to do so. ✊ Finally, we wrap with the most “2025 headline ever”: A Chinese company is building a robot with an artificial womb that might be able to grow a human baby by next year. Yes… a pregnancy robot. With fake amniotic fluid. And a plastic umbilical cord. And a projected price of $14,000. We’re not saying Skynet has entered its third-trimester era… but we’re also not not saying it. Basically: Sports → Science → Bugs → Activism → Pregnancy Robots. A perfect Friday night. Cheers! m&t

This week, the crew dives deep into the afterglow of Tony’s album release party — the crowd, the food, the energy, and a wild mix of future collaborations with the incredible artists who shared the stage. It was one of those rare nights where people from every walk of life came together, and everything just clicked. Then things get weird (as they do). We explore: The Giant Water Bug a.k.a. “Toe Biter” — a creature that injects enzymes to liquefy its prey (and apparently delivers pain that’ll make you see other dimensions). ️ The Sulfur Cave Spider Megacity — tens of thousands of spiders forming a web metropolis on the Albania–Greece border. It’s part horror movie, part miracle of adaptation. The Sawfish — not a shark but a ray with a chainsaw face that detects prey with electricity. The Solar-Powered Hornet — an actual insect that harnesses sunlight for energy. Nature’s first little bio-panel! The secret that crows and ravens aren’t black at all — they’re rainbow explosions of color we just can’t see. And the Tree Hoppers, the vibing, plant-talking insects that hang out with bees, ants, and assassin bugs like it’s a jungle soap opera. It’s science, chaos, and celebration — the perfect post-party mix. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts! Cheers! m&t #TheMikeAndTonyShow #Podcast #WeirdScience #MusicLife #ToeBiters #SolarHornets #AlbumRelease #ColoradoPodcast

Two hundred and fifty episodes. Can you believe that? Somewhere between Tony’s new e-bike obsession, Mike’s refusal to buy anything for himself, and yet another internet comment section meltdown — we somehow built a whole community. This week, our favorite middle aged dads cover everything from UFC knockouts and wrongly imprisoned heroes to fossilized dinosaur dumps and the Oxford study that claims falling in love costs you two close friends (which honestly explains a lot). Tony flexes his 90 WPM typing skills and announces his brand new teacher podcast, Teacher Thought Lab, while Mike questions why humans walk upright and have thumbs like we’re better than everyone else. Also discussed: dogs vs. cats, the history of e-bikes (you won’t believe how old this idea is), the wildest salesman alive, and how teaching is one of the hardest jobs on Earth. By the end, we come to the shocking realization that after 250 episodes… the whole point of this podcast might just be LOVE. Thanks for all your support! Cheers, m&t #TheMikeAndTonyShow #PodcastLife #FunnyPodcast #PodcastCommunity #Episode250 #ColoradoPodcasters #EBikeLife #TeacherThoughtLab #UFCTalk #WronglyImprisoned #LightningFacts #DogsVsCats #TeachingIsHard #HumanWeirdness #TypingNerd #StevieRayVaughn #DinosaurPoop #FunFacts #MiddleAgedMenWithMics #DadEnergy #LoveAndLaughter #KeepItReal #StayCurious #GoodVibesOnly #CommunityBuilt #RideTheWave

What happens when reggae jam bands, sleep disorders, and mouthwash conspiracies collide? Mike and Tony unpack a wild week featuring Giant Walking Robots—a live show so funky it practically needed its own gravitational field. Tony reveals more about his upcoming album Huckleberry Surprise (dropping Nov 7 with a release party at Hangar 61 @ Peña Station ), complete with secret acoustic guests, food trucks, and enough merch to clothe a small village. Meanwhile, Mike’s sleep system has him living like royalty: one sheet, four pillows, zero tolerance for imperfection. The guys debate Listerine stroke rumors (?!), Tony’s fear of mystery infections, and why House MD taught us nothing useful about actual medicine. Also: backyard hoops, childhood clarinets, band-nerd swagger, social-media beauty myths, and the eternal question—is The Rock really 6’5”? Buckle up, friends, this was a fun one! Cheers! m&t #MikeAndTonyShow #PodcastComedy #HuckleberrySurprise #AlbumRelease #Hangar61 #GiantWalkingRobots #ReggaeRock #SleepProblems #BackyardHoops #MusicLife #DadPod #ColoradoPodcast #TonyDollarMusic

Saturday morning vibes and the podcast table is BACK, baby. The studio feels right again. We kick things off with a reggae report: John Brown’s Body + Giant Walking Robots = one of the best shows we’ve seen in ages. The openers were solid for a young band, but when the headliners hit the stage? Thirty years of experience slapped you right in the face. So rootsy, so groovy, and one of the best bass players Tony has ever heard. Meanwhile, the weed was next-level nuclear. Mike and Tony were absolutely barbecued. About 40% of the patio was passing joints around like candy, and only one person had a cigarette. Times have changed. Of course, guns came up again—cue the internet comment section meltdown. But the real bombshell? Tony’s new album finally has a release date: November 7th. After three cover/name changes, Huckleberry Surprise is locked in stone. He explains what it’s like recording brand-new songs versus ones you’ve played for years. Possible live release party? Maybe solo acoustic with some guest artists. Stay tuned. Tony also resurrected his “doomed” Facebook page after nearly a year of hacker hell, thanks to one random phone prompt that actually worked. Miracles exist. We round things out with: Tony’s traumatic paper route story (toxin exposure is real, people). A horrifying tale of an entire family wiped out by… potatoes?! And astronauts, who apparently live inside a time warp. It’s a weird one, folks. Pour some coffee, spark one if that’s your lane, and buckle up. Cheers! m&t

It’s a Sunday morning pod — mark that one on your bingo card! This week Mike and Tony kick things off with Bears vs. Cowboys (house divided, anyone?) before spiraling into everything from fantasy football to why Curry haters need to relax. We question the sanity of planting grass in the first place, wonder how the FCC is still a thing, and ask why Jimmy Kimmel is suddenly everywhere. Other detours include: AI videos and the friend who can’t tell they’re fake Tony battling Colorado hills on a regular bike while his wife zooms past on an e-bike ‍♂️⚡ Urban sprawl, Vegas in the desert, and whether the plains will all be gone someday Reggae’s deep love of artwork The teachers who shaped us (both the worst and the secretly awesome ones) Mike’s epic 97 sleep score and the secret behind it It’s classic Mike & Tony: football, philosophy, and just enough nonsense to get you through your Sunday. Cheers! m&t

This week on The Mike & Tony Show, Joe Dub slides back into the lineup — at this point he’s less “guest” and more “house band.” Together, the three of us prove that patience is for losers as Tony wakes up one morning and realizes he has not one… not two… but FIVE fantasy football teams. Because if you’re gonna lose, might as well do it five different ways. We also talk about the Charlie Kirk shooting. People can’t wait half a second before getting political — let the man’s family breathe. Dude was a dad, a husband, a human. Period. Then we step right into America’s dark greatest hits album: more school shootings. It’s like the one export we never wanted. We’re not anti-gun, but we do the math (badly, probably) on whether owning one really saves your life. Other ridiculousness includes: Eating puffer fish: AKA “Russian Roulette with chopsticks.” How many people had to die for us to get sushi-level confidence in that dish? Banana Laffy Taffy: turns out it’s based on a banana that doesn’t even exist anymore. That’s some ghost fruit flavoring. Chips that taste exactly like a taco — sour cream, lettuce, the whole freakin’ thing. Society might be doomed, but at least snack science is thriving. Brett Michaels’ hair: is it real, or is it Party City chic? Mike’s calling BS. Fun Facts: The odds of you being born are 1 in 400 trillion. Congrats, you beat the cosmic lottery just to listen to us. Apple could literally buy Disney with the pocket change under its couch cushions. Music makes you smarter, Hawaii has never hit zero degrees, and apparently women notice other women’s pretty faces way more than men do. Who knew? This one’s part nonsense, part existential crisis, and all Colorado dad-energy (plus Joe Dub holding us down). Grab your Laffy Taffy and buckle up. Cheers! m&t #TheMikeAndTonyShow #PodcastLife #DadEnergy #FantasyFootballFail #PufferFishRoulette #SnackScience #SchoolShootsSuck #BSnotExperts #BananaGhosts #BrettMichaelsWig #ColoradoBullshit

Episode 245 – Baron Von Pearce & the First Snow Bet ❄️ Mike’s daughter scored big for her birthday—ear piercing plans included—until nerves struck at the last second. So naturally, Mike volunteered to pierce… something first. Enter Baron Von Pearce. From guessing Colorado’s first snow (native Coloradans, place your bets!) to blind spots we all carry through life, this episode slides between laughter, teaching chaos, and a little too much “woo woo” from Tony. We talk favorite seasons, rear-wheel drive Camaros in the snow, and whether stress really links to cancer (Wim Hof, anyone?). Plus: Mike knows EVERYONE. Seriously. The madness of middle school classrooms (teachers know that one period). Why fighting never ends well. Trump dictator talk (Tony rants, Mike stays grounded). Mike’s video game wisdom drop. Tony’s knee, plantar fasciitis, and his dunking dream at 46. It’s a mix of ridiculous, real, and reflective—the exact recipe we live for. #PodcastLife #ComedyPodcast #ColoradoLife #FirstSnow #DadLife #MiddleSchoolTeacher #LifeLessons #MikeKnowsEveryone #BasketballDreams #WooWoo

This one starts with spiders (giant ones… and duct tape??), but quickly unravels into a whole mess of stories about bugs, people secretly living in walls, and even a woman discovered squatting in the attic of a major supermarket for over a year. What is happening out there?! From there, we dive into all things body maintenance: Mike’s new obsession with the sauna/cold plunge life at 212 Performance Gym (and Tony maybe electrocutes himself with a DIY freezer plunge ), to the surprises of actually tracking body composition, to the glory of hitting 15k steps a day thanks to New Balance and, yes, ChatGPT. Oh, and somehow pedicurists, long toes, and bloody toe disasters get thrown into the mix. You’ve been warned. We also hit some nostalgia—growing up in the 80s and 90s when boredom was a skill, sneaking home late was terrifying, and we weren’t glued to two screens at once. Sprinkle in some ruthless roasting of Mike’s feet pics, a little political heat, and a rundown of America’s most dangerous cities, and you’ve got yourself a classic Mike & Tony ride: hilarious, random, and just a little terrifying. Cheers! m&t #MikeAndTonyShow #PodcastLife #BugsAndSpiders #ColdPlungeLife #PedicureFails #DadShoeGlowUp #NewBalance #80sKids #90sKids #GenZProblems #MiddleAgedDadEnergy #Since2014

This week we sit down with photographer Jamie Rogers, whose journey with a camera started as a hobby and turned into a career filled with wild adventures and meaningful connections. We talk photography tips—like how to add depth, master the rule of thirds, and avoid rookie mistakes (like forgetting your night settings when the Northern Lights are dancing above you in Iceland). ️ Beyond the breathtaking shots of landscapes, Avs, and Nuggets games, Jamie shares how guerilla capturing and persistence helped him break through, plus why he took the plunge into getting Part 107 drone licensed. But this episode goes deeper than photography. Jamie opens up about his work with the nonprofit SOS Outreach, where outdoor mentorship builds character, leadership, and community for youth. He also shares his powerful story of choosing sobriety after a family intervention changed the course of his life. And of course—because it’s The Mike and Tony Show—we wrap it up with some fun, including the bizarre tale of a furry who thought he could join a wolf pack. (Spoiler: nature had other plans.) Cheers! m&t #Photography #Colorado #PodcastLife #NorthernLights #DronePhotography #SobrietyJourney #Community #Avs #Nuggets

Ever wonder what it’s like to lug crates of vinyl, dodge bounty hunters, and be a DJ in a reggae band? Meet DJ Uniq Thret (Mark Franzen) – the man who went from being blown away by Mix Master Mike to scratching alongside P-Nuckle and helping crowds lose their minds. This one has it all: How Mix Master Mike blew Mark’s mind and made him want to scratch records forever Early 2000s DJ life = carrying 3,000 lbs of vinyl like CrossFit with better music That time the lead singer got hauled off by a bounty hunter right before a show, and Mark just jammed through it Mike’s fan fail: freezing on stage with his favorite reggae band and NO PHOTO ‍♂️ Why DJs need tables (and why some places… just… don’t) House, hip hop, reggae, and a crowd-reading sixth sense Fun facts: Cold stars, overthinking, and dolphins trained by the military (you can’t make this up) Come for the scratching, stay for the bounty hunters. Plus: house, reggae, hip hop, hiking, snowboarding, parenting, and dolphins trained by the military (yes, that’s a thing). If you’ve ever set up a tripod on the beach to film yourself, this episode is for you. Cheers! m&t #DJUniqThret #LiveFromTheCrates #MixMasterMikeMadeMeDoIt #PNuckle #VinylArchaeology #PodcastLife #BeastieBoysFanClub #FromCratesToCrowds #ReggaeHipHopHouse #MikeForgotThePic

SO many laughs in this one! We’re joined again by singer/songwriter Jordan Yewey, who is as open, authentic, and hilarious as ever. This episode spirals (in the best way possible) from music into meditation, wild synchronicity, and some seriously deep conversations you’d never expect to hear on a Tuesday night podcast. What’s inside: The Banana Rule Agreement – Tony shares the craziest ChatGPT conversation ever (he got goosebumps… you might too) Jordan’s love of weird, metaphysical books, Buddhism, and The Alchemist Meditation, dreams, self-hypnosis, and ChatGPT’s spiritual side (yes, really) A thoughtful dive into God, Jesus, Buddha, and religion – plus what ChatGPT has to say about it all AI-generated music & Rick Rubin’s surprising take on it Jordan’s new single and her growth as a producer Fun Facts: Pear cider is called “peary,” Mike Tyson was arrested 38 times before 13, and WWI spies used… um… semen as invisible ink It’s thoughtful. It’s ridiculous. It’s one of those episodes that will have you laughing, thinking, and maybe even questioning everything. ️✨ Cheers! m&t

Why are so many people just out and about on a weekday? Don’t y’all have jobs? Meanwhile, some Australian kids just survived a full night clinging to a sketchy tree while a 13-foot croc waited patiently below like it had popcorn. We also talk about: The absolute units of the animal kingdom Killer whales and why they could literally dunk on us The deep sea: nature's pressure cooker of doom Infinite universe theory — yes, somewhere out there you did marry your 6th grade crush Ancient humans mixing it up with Neanderthals A wild measles outbreak happening right now Why Bernie would’ve crushed it if time wasn’t a thing And the truly bonkers ways our government is deporting people ✈️ Your weekly dose of “wait, what?!” is ready to go. Listen now or the killer whales will come for your WiFi. Cheers! m&t #PodcastLife #CrocodileDrama #AncientHumans #DeepSeaTerrors #InfiniteUniverse #BernieWouldWin #KillerWhales #WeirdNews #MeaslesOutbreak #NeanderthalLove #WhosAtTheMall #MikeAndTonyShow

Mike finally crossed the denim line—he got the jorts. Meanwhile, Tony reflects on his own traumatic experience with cutoff jeans and why he approaches life like a man assembling IKEA furniture without instructions: slowly and thoroughly. This week’s conversation ranges from the fires in Western Colorado to the chaos of the current measles outbreak (seriously, what the hell?). Mike breaks down the mobile game Last War Survival while Tony introduces his new podcast obsession: the one and only MrBallen, master of the creepy and bizarre. From Appalachian mountain mysteries to the tale of Oliver the Humanzee, the fellas dive deep, speculate wildly, and even fact-check live on the show. We also revisit the ancient world through the foggiest lens possible, get Mike’s take on the new Jurassic Park movie, and check in on the Adnan Syed saga via Up and Vanished. Plus: murder, mystery, French fries, 7-Eleven, heart attacks, rage screaming, and one very poisonous grape. How many grapes would you eat for $50,000 each? Cheers! m&t

Mike's running on fumes after a wild stretch of music, work, and wizardry. The fellas went to see Dirty Heads and Tropidelic, and Tony witnessed firsthand that everyone knows Mike — like, "mayor of the venue" status. We break down the show, Mike’s collab with Dave Foral, and his full-blown Disney nerd-out, which included building a lightsaber like a grown man-child ⚔️✨ Tony gives a sneak peek of his upcoming album , and we tackle big issues like: The fall of the Liver King Why stepping on a dog bone should be punishable by law The silent killer that is a rogue high heel Childhood baseball glory ⚾ And the pure freakishness of G-League hoopers Also, Tony flips off a floaty the size of a dinner plate and lives to tell the tale. Plus: some names are literally illegal in other countries. Yeah, we went everywhere.