New Year’s Eve is supposed to be champagne, countdowns, and pretending your life is about to change. But in Jackalope Tales fashion, Charles and Lisa ring in the new year by dragging out the ghosts, glitches, and catastrophic vibes that show up when musicians tempt fate at midnight.

Charles revisits the tragic and eerie final moments of Ricky Nelson, whose New Year’s Eve plans ended not with confetti, but with a plane crash that froze time and sealed a legend in the worst way possible. It’s dark, it’s sobering, and it’s the ultimate reminder that not everyone makes it to “Auld Lang Syne.”

Meanwhile, Lisa takes us to a very different kind of disaster: Mariah Carey melting down live on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve when technical difficulties turned pop perfection into televised chaos. Lip-syncs died, dignity followed, and America watched in stunned, sparkling horror.

From flaming wreckage to hot-mic humiliation, Balls-a-Droopin’ is our annual reminder that New Year’s Eve doesn’t care about your legacy, your vocal cords, or your survival instincts. So pour a drink, lower your expectations, and join us as we toast another year with stories that prove the ball isn’t the only thing that drops at midnight. [Ep 119]

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Produced by: Charles Mooney
Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

Gather ’round the fire, spike your cocoa (or don’t—we won’t judge), and tuck in your little anarchists. This Christmas Eve, Charles and Lisa invite you into the warm, flickering glow of Jackalope Tales for a holiday tradition that definitely would’ve gotten you grounded as a kid.

In ‘Twas the Night Before Punkmas, we read a beloved Christmas story… then drag it behind the venue, give it a leather jacket, and let it smoke behind the dumpster. Expect punk spirit, twisted nostalgia, and enough festive chaos to make Santa rethink his life choices.

It’s cozy. It’s cruel. It’s Christmas—Jackalope Tales style. [Ep 118]

Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content!

Produced by: Charles Mooney
Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

Part 2 of our descent into the beautiful chaos that is Marky Ray—and this time, the guitars don’t survive.

In this episode, Marky pulls back the curtain on life on the road with Nine Inch Nails, where industrial rage wasn’t just a vibe, it was a line item in the budget. Hear how touring with Trent Reznor meant nightly onstage meltdowns, flying instruments, and Marky becoming less of a guitarist and more of a full-time guitar ER surgeon—repairing, replacing, and emergency-buying axes just to keep the show moving.

Broken necks. Snapped strings. Shattered bodies (of guitars… mostly). And the unspoken rule: If Trent is in a mood, hide the vintage gear.

Dark, hilarious, and louder than your tinnitus, this episode is a love letter to road warriors, techs, and anyone who’s ever watched a perfectly good instrument die for the art.

Plug in, brace yourself, and remember:
In industrial rock, the guitars are expendable.

Be sure to click the link below to purchase Rock And Roll Mercenary by Marky Ray, a no-BS collection of insane road stories from deep inside the music world, told by someone who actually survived it. From legendary tours and volatile artists to shattered guitars, blown budgets, and backstage chaos, nothing is cleaned up or romanticized. It’s the brutal, hilarious truth about what really happens when rock ’n’ roll goes to work. [Ep 116]

Link to Marky’s amazing book:
https://ebay.us/m/ihHqRd

Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content!

Produced by: Charles Mooney
Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney