Zach Bryan “Oak Island” – The Actors, the Location, and More

La Brea. Believe it or not this post starts about a mysterious science fiction show that aired 3 seasons on NBC and just one season on Hulu. It’s that latter fact that ticked me right off a couple of years ago. NBC switched all episodes to their Peacock streaming service (dropping from Hulu) so there I was in the middle of the series and not knowing how it went. Hell will freeze over before I conform to NBC’s diabolical plan to make me subscribe to Peacock! What the heck does this have to do with Zach Bryan? Well, watch his video for “Oak Island” and see if you can pick out how it relates to La Brea…

I wouldn’t have guessed it correctly because of the beard but starring alongside actor Casey Affleck (@caseyaffleck) is La Brea actor Jack Martin (@realjackmartin). Here are a couple of photos of Jack on the set and with Zach Bryan. I guess they’re best buds?

Was the video shot on Oak Island? No. Stop asking such silly questions. The video was filmed in Schenectady, New York… a few hundred miles north of Oak Island, North Carolina. Check out the last shot of the video right in front of the Museum of Innovation and Science, as seen in this Google Maps location.

Zach’s song reminds me of a couple of my favorite country songs. Zac Brown Band’s “Colder Weather” and Eric Church’s “Homeboy.” Those are from way back when but this Zach Bryan song is reminiscent of a family falling out of good graces with each other and maybe, just maybe, there’s redemption in the end… which is more than I can say for the series finale of La Brea BECAUSE I HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET!!!

The video was directed by the talented Matthew Dillon Cohen (Instagram: @itsbongoboy), who also directed this great video for Zach Bryan. I guess they’re best buds, too!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Classic Debate and Switch

Sometimes when you’re fishing you have to reel in your line, take the bait off and switch to a new spot. That is a classic de-bait and switch. But last night was another classic… the “Debate and Switch” featuring Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Kamala threw out a lot of bait and Donald generally took it. There was a lot of switching for Donald: Defending himself against Kamala and switching to defend himself against the moderators. Or Kamala switching her stance on things, though her “values haven’t changed.”

To sum up the debate would go something like this: Democrats will say Kamala won. Republicans will say Donald won. ABC definitely lost, if anyone were to be required to name a loser. They were almost in the realm of bullying with how they came at Trump and I’m sure most would’ve been fine with it if they’d treated Kamala equally. But they didn’t.

After the debate, another switch. Harris supporters quickly turned their attention to an endorsement everyone has been waiting with baited breath for… Taylor Swift. She’s finally offered her public support of Kamala Harris which can only mean a few things. One being that if she hasn’t recently ended things with Travis Kelce, she soon will. I explain why here. I have nothing but good experiences with Taylor. Working in country music brought me into circles of people and circumstances that included Taylor. Early on in my Nashville work experience I was part of her first music video, too. And no, she wasn’t the star. Would you believe that in this video, she’s basically only seen in the background? Check out a teenage Taylor before she become world famous here.

I think the debate was what most people expected, except for the idea that Kamala might implode or look like a fool. She didn’t implode and she handled everything well. Donald had a handful of zingers and Kamala made passionate appeals to Americans’ emotions. I suppose only time will tell if the debate helped anyone have a more clear selection for the election, or if Taylor’s endorsement was more important than any candidate interview or debate could ever be.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Volvo EX90 Commercial – The Song Behind the Ad

I betcha Tyreek Hill wouldn’t have been pulled over if he was driving the Volvo EX90! Hi there. I’m Ben Wilder and that little nugget of truth was brought to you by the all-new, all-electric Volvo EX90. This isn’t a paid advertisement… however if Volvo sees this and wants to send me one, I would politely accept it. For the people.

So let’s talk about this new EX90 commercial. It shows off some wild new features I’ve never seen in a car. Some type of 3D hologram Predator stuff going on and I guess it’s supposed to make driving safer. I’m all for it.

Not a scene from The Predator.

These safety features might not be required by law, but I hope they help make a difference in road safety. There are enough distracted drivers out there to start a circus! That’s definitely not a phrase people ever use but don’t circuses have clowns driving around haphazardly in tiny cars?

The commercial features the music of a great singer/songwriter out of Nashville, Tennessee. But maybe you haven’t figured out who that is yet? His voice is one that stands out among many singers and the song used in the Volvo commercial sounds like it’s right from the climatic moment in a Broadway musical. The song is………… *Drumroll please* well, first watch the ad then scroll down for the big reveal.

The soundtrack of this ad is a song called “Extraordinary Magic” by Ben Rector. Here’s the full track from 2018 and be sure to follow Ben on X (@benrector) and Instagram (@ben_rector). He’s a great guy and probably a safe driver.

When I lived in Nashville I caught a Ben Rector show and it didn’t disappoint (except for the tall guy standing in front of me that would’t move!). A great entertainer and all he needed was a few instruments and a personality. I really appreciate when someone can captivate an audience without gimmicks. That concert was over 10 years ago but it was further back than that when I had first heard of Ben Rector at all. He did a clever cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling.” Check out it…

The Volvo EX90 is not available yet but Ben Rector is! If you live in Charlotte, Waco, or Orlando, get your tickets today and chime in below with what you’re looking forward to at his show. Or if you’re Tyreek Hill, maybe stop driving a supercar to work… order an EX90 and impress all your athletic friends.

-Out of the Wilderness

I Had To Say No…

I had to say no. Well, technically I did have a choice. I could’ve said yes. A few weeks ago I was asked if I was interested in doing something. A simple yes or no question. The timing was kind of ironic and humbling because not an hour earlier I was basically bragging that I’d learned how to say ‘no’ confidently. Then I get asked and what was my answer?

I didn’t say ‘yes’ and I didn’t say ‘no.’ Is that because I’m a classic Enneagram 4, the last child of 4, or a Capricorn? I don’t know. I supposed that’s something I need to think about, too. 🙃 Over the course of a few days, I wrestled with the decision. It became a fight between my head and my heart. My heart was a yes but my head kept coming up with reasons to back away slowly. Isn’t it so much easier to just flip a coin?

As I’ve grown into the 45-year-old man I am today, I’ve tried to become a more decisive person and I’ve still got a very long way to go. I don’t want to beat myself up over it, though. I was created with the characteristic of thinking deeply about things and that’s a good thing! The drawback is that sometimes I tend to overthink things, especially if there’s an element of letting someone down in the process.

It took over a week to come to a conclusion I was mostly happy with, but I struggled along the way. Some days I’d wake up and think, just take a chance and say yes but by the time I went to bed, it was back to no. In the end, my head prevailed and I submitted my answer.

I feel a peace about it, which helps to confirm my decision and will hopefully keep me from thinking more about it (Did I make the wrong choice? Can I change my mind? Did I just ruin my entire life?). For now though, I believe it came down to a matter of timing. My heart was all in but the logical side said… not yet. So maybe eventually if I get faced with the same question again, I’ll be a ‘yes.’ Until then, I’ll just be here waiting for the next thing to come along that I can overthink about.

-Out of the Wilderness

Kevin Hart Acting, Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl, and Jason Kelce’s Wings

At some point in my 20s, I made peace with myself that even though I’m an American man, very little of my interests include working on cars or knowing much about them at all outside of basic maintenance and repair. It was a marked change, a burden off of my shoulders that I didn’t have to be who I was expected to be, even if there really wasn’t anyone out there who actually expected it from me. It was mostly in my head from projected rules of how men are supposed to be.

I’ve come to another similar conclusion. Aren’t we supposed to like Kevin Hart as an actor? For a time, I did. He was funny, clever, and likable. I suppose he’s still all those things but I think the common cliché is true, every character he plays is the same. It was after watching The Man From Toronto (and writing about it) that I decided I needed to face these thoughts head on. I can’t think of a movie where Hart played a part that was vastly different from any other character in any other movie. So now when I see ads for a new movie he’s in, I lose interest rather quickly. To sum this up with a broad statement, I’m over Kevin Hart.

And then there’s Kendrick Lamar. I can’t say that I’ve done a deep dive into his catalogue of songs but I LOVE his style of rapping. The first of his songs I heard was “Humble.” and it was somehow so refreshing compared to what was currently popular in rap music at the time. A unique delivery with his phrasing and melodies. And if a rapper can have a pleasant, satisfying voice, it’s Kendrick. Plus, he’s got some lines in “XXX” that are my favorite lyrics of probably any rap song ever. So when it was announced today that he’d be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, I was very happy. He has enough hits to fill out a great show for anyone who admires talent.

Have you seen Jason Kelce in the Buffalo Wild Wings commercials? He’s already shown us his sense of humor in various ways through the course of the last NFL football season…

…but he is smart enough to share the spotlight while not stepping on the toes hooves of Hank (the buffalo). That big ol’ bison is hilarious and Jason’s humor works perfectly in the few ads I’ve seen with the pair. Check out one of commercials below where Jason throws shade at his brother, Travis Kelce.

What do you think about these three men? Am I the odd one out, not liking Kevin Hart the actor anymore? Should I learn how to clean a carburetor?

-Out of the Wilderness