I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 317

Austin gabs about decidedly non-wrestling things
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you’re new, here’s the rundown. We listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are many wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but this feature largely hews to the regular rotation we feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If we can save other folks some time, we’re happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 317 (April 19, 2016)
Run Time: 1:26:28
Guest: Easton Corbin, Chris Tate (11:16)

Summary: Austin is home at 316 Gimmick Street with country music star Easton Corbin and his manager, Chris Tate. They talk about Corbin’s recent birthday, honor the death of Merle Haggard and lament the end of an era. Other topics include beer, constructing a tour schedule, hunting and deer herd management, road life, and engaging with crowds.

Quote of the week: “There’s some days that are tougher than others … but then you gotta kinda step back and put yourself in perspective, or put things in perspective and say, ‘You know what? I could still be working at Ace Hardware.’ Nothing wrong with Ace Hardware, I love Ace Hardware. It provided me with income, you know, as I was going to school and getting my deal. But I definitely like singing better than, you know, doing that. Or I could be digging a ditch. Nothing wrong with that. … I’m living my dream. There’s so many other people that would love to be able to do what I do, you know, that would love that chance.”

Why you should listen: This episode appeals to people who like country music, Broken Skull IPA, and deer hunting.

Why you should skip it: There’s probably quite a few folks who fit in the sweet spot of that Venn diagram — but if you’re on the complete outside, this one is going to drag painfully as you search for a shred of anything approaching interesting.

Final thoughts: Corbin’s a nice enough guy, but the topics here are so narrow as to make your choice of whether or not to listen fairly simple. To be fair to Austin, he’s got a pretty good handle on his listener demographics — in this case I’m sure I’m the outlier. Bottom line, though, if you’re here for the wrestling, then you don’t need to pay heed to Ep. 317.