What’re you looking at, son? You wanna go? Well, it seems like Gavin Adcock can’t get enough of the fightin’ side of country music, and the media (The Dads included) can’t get enough of his bologna. This week, we dive into the beefs, why country music seems to foster this kind of violent rhetoric, what dads should do about it and how the media landscape makes it all worse.

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00:58 - Who is Gavin Adcock and why is country music (and its tabloids) so obsessed with him? The Dads get into his origin story, his approach and why he’s the perfect foil. He’s either a marketing genius or an idiot savant.

6:21 - Donnie outlines why he doesn’t like him, but Dave jumps in to say he totally gets his appeal, that vibe and that stupidity. There is something to be said about acting a fool. But it needs to be safe for everyone involved.

10:31 - Beefs, it’s what’s for dinner. The Dads outline the wild number of beefs that Adcock either instigated or accelerated. Up first, we talk about Braxton Keith and Adcock.

13:28 - Next, we cover the swing Adcock took at Beyoncé. His take was loaded and unneeded.

16:53 - Now we get to the good stuff: Zach Bryan vs Adcock. They came into it with the same energy, and this one is wonderfully messy. They both looked like fools because neither chose to de-escalate.

21:10 - On to Charley Crockett and his master class in narrative control. Adcock put himself back into the conversation, ego and all. And boy did he miss. The allegations of “Cosplay Cowboy” against Crockett fall so flat. All stage performers put on an act -- including Adcock.

27:46 - The fight and beef drives streaming revenues, but it’s not going to establish Adcock for the long term.

29:16 - Benjamin Tod, the $75 a night beef and the outlaw version of puka shells.

34:14 - How do these beefs stand up to the history of country music beefs? They are similar, but the social media system exacerbates the situation.

36:10 - What role do violence and male bravado play in country music -- it’s all about the storytelling. From Johnny Cash to Jason Aldean, country uses violence to tell a story and foster the image of power and control. And this music provides an escape. Understanding the line between violence as an escape vs a solution is critical.

45:19 - How do dads help their kids deal with this kind of trash talk or bullying? Be a better person: don’t let yourself be hurt, and find a better way to fix the problems that will always arise. And this isn’t just about dumb beefs or little kids. This is about how society solves its problems.

54:29 - Dad Life Sound Check for meeting the bully in the parking lot.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

Thanksgiving doesn't get any respect, but we're looking to change that. The beleaguered middle child of the holiday season, Thanksgiving is often overlooked. Yet so many elements of Thanksgiving (gathering with family, romanticizing our past traditions, and reckless binge-eating, among others) seem to make it the perfect holiday for a dad and for country music. We explore why Thanksgiving doesn't get its due and we take our best shot at creating a Country Music Thanksgiving Playlist.

0:01 - The introduction: Why do we, in the country music and dad community, not elevate Thanksgiving to its rightful place as the American Holiday?

2:33 - A Bit of History about Thanksgiving and how it became today’s National Holiday. Please note that Donnie had a lot of trouble with the word “popularization.”

5:30 - What does Thanksgiving mean to the Dads? What must you have to eat in order for it to be “right?” And how does being an adult make a difference? Donnie also talks about when he was in shape and ran really fast during a Turkey Trot (Much like the misremembered history of the holiday, Donnie made up a bit of the story, but he did come in first place in the Clydesdale division one year).

13:16 - Deep-fried turkeys, roasting turkey and handling the bird like a chunky nine-month-old. Also, how do you pronounce “giblets?”

16:30 - How do kids change your traditions? Establishing these rituals is very important, and with a bit of planning, you can do great things. But there is more that gets done, and less pure enjoyment and celebration.

19:08 - The great joy of being a parent comes from hard work, and what Donnie says to people who are considering having kids.

21:21 - A Call to Dad Action: We should take Thanksgiving and make it THE American Dad Holiday.

22:30 - What must be on your Thanksgiving table?

26:20 - Donnie and Dave discuss why we think Thanksgiving doesn’t get the respect it deserves. And like the Father of our Nation, George Washington, the Country Music Dads make a proclamation naming Thanksgiving the Dads’ Holiday.

29:48 - Why are there no country music Thanksgiving songs? There are a few songs that work, and the Dads try to jam a square peg into a round hole.

40:51 - Green Bean Casserole is easy: Dads, you can up your game! Donnie outlines the entire process of making it—and it’s super easy.

42:31 - Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie is a bonkers banana pants song, but it’s a song about Thanksgiving. Sorta…

44:00 Change My Mind: Donnie pretends to believe that turkey is overrated. And Dave changed my mind -- in the name of tradition. But everyone can agree that the next day sandwich is what Thanksgiving is really all about.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

• Butterball Togetherness Report

This episode needs no introduction: Shooter Jennings joins Donnie and Dave to discuss his dad’s cache of recordings, the process of bringing together three albums' worth of new Waylon Jennings music, and his feelings about the first installment, Songbird. Shooter talks at length about the discovery of Waylon’s previously unreleased music, his relationship with his legendary dad and his own role as a father of two. This one was big for the Country Music Dads, as there couldn’t be a more perfect topic for this podcast.

1:24 -- Shooter tells us about the discovery of these songs and how the Songbird project came together.

6:12 -- Dave says it was surreal to hear these songs in 2025. Shooter felt the same way. And then he knew he had to share this with others so they could have the same experience.

8:26 -- The Myth vs. The Man: Shooter explores what fans might be able to take from these projects.

10:42 -- Shooter’s childhood on the road and why he’s tired at shows regardless of how much sleep he gets.

12:20 -- Waylon the Artist vs. Waylon the Dad. Shooter kept true to the art but modernized it a bit — “letting the music on the tape talk.” That said, the experience of going through this chapter of his dad’s life was very special to Shooter.

20:07 -- As a producer, the process of this project was a bit different for Shooter because Waylon is no longer with us; he is his father, and there was so much more material than usual. So he wanted to make it last to “make it like Waylon is here for a minute.”

23:00 -- Donnie asked about how relationships impact Shooter’s production style. He specifically pointed to Turnpike Troubadour’s last two albums and the fan backlash after Cat in the Rain. Shooter’s direct and honest answer provides an interesting view into his producing style.

28:58 -- The Dads ask Shooter how the production on the next albums fit together and how they tell a story. We also learn that there are several other projects to come from this collection of recordings, including songs by his mother, Jessi Colter. It’s like a little Marvel Universe of Waylon Jennings, they joke. But wouldn’t that be cool?

30:40 -- How this project impacts Shooter’s legacy and his kids’ vision of him.

36:30 -- What’s next for Shooter? He’s working with Charley Crockett and BJ Barham of American Aquarium again.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

• Songbird album by Waylon Jennings
• Countach (for Giorgio) album by Shooter Jennings
• Tony Joe White
• Sometimes Y album by Yelawolf