Tommy Passemante

Eric Girouard  0:00  

This is bucket talk, a weekly podcast for people who work in the trades and construction that aren't just trying to survive, but have the ambition and desire to thrive. The opportunity in the trades and construction is absolutely ridiculous right now. So if you're hungry, it's time to eat. We discuss what it takes to rise from the bottom to the top with people who are well on their way and roll up their sleeves every single day.

Jeremy Perkins  0:28  

All right, this episode of bucket talk, we got a very special guest, one that I grew up with watching idolizing. We have Tommy Passemante, and he also goes by the name Street by Tommy, street by Tommy. Welcome my man.

Tommy Passemante  0:44  

It's funny. You actually call me street bike. Tommy. Everybody these days is like, Oh man, you're, you're that dirt bike. Danny guy, street car. Timmy, Hey, come here.

Jeremy Perkins  0:54  

So when I first, I mean watching Nitro Circus, watching Travis Pastrana, all that stuff. I mean, we grew up on it. It was like you're out there trying to do those tricks, you know, taking a little BMX bike off a little wooden ramp and just lighten your lighting your day up. But in all seriousness, you were not an outsider, but you were different than most of the people on that show. You had a background in the trades. You just happen to be part of that crew. They took you in, but really wanted to get down and dirty on what you do as a construction worker, a little bit more into the Nitro Circus stuff, but like, Yeah, how'd you get your start,

Tommy Passemante  1:36  

dude? So I'm extremely different than the rest of the crew, I mean, those guys. So a lot of action sports athletes actually do have a pretty solid background in construction, surprisingly, where, you know, they're just a bunch of, like, blue collar dudes that save up some loot and they buy dirt bikes or skateboards or whatever they end up doing, and they get good at it, and they obviously dropped construction. I never really got good at anything, so I never ever dropped construction. So I actually my background in the trades. I grew up second generation commercial drywall man, like I, my dad had a still has a drywall company, but we don't really do drywall anymore, long story. But grew up doing commercial drywall, metal framing. We did a bunch of tenant space for these big office buildings in Laurel and DC and Virginia. And as far north as Baltimore. I mean, we just the DMV. We did a ton of like, lease space where, you know, corporations would come in and they wouldn't want a whole floor leased out. So, like, we would take it down to the actual structure and then put the walls back however they wanted it, yeah, and it was always very simple, you know, only 90s shell, white paint, vinyl base, you know, no padding, roll out carpet. You know, the easiest drop ceiling you ever think of, yeah, like it was a big deal if we were doing reveal tile. And I remember my dad teaching me how to do reveal tile, and I thought I was like a wizard. And I had like, these, I thought I was like, Oh, I'm experienced, bro. I got all these skills because I can, I could put a reveal on it, on a tile.

Jeremy Perkins  3:41  

The 90s. The 90s was wild, so different. I mean, at floral print, gold fixtures. I mean, it was just like, I don't know. I mean, people are are demoing those houses right now, but,

Tommy Passemante  3:55  

and we thought we were killing it because we were pulling down wood paneling and like all that brushed brass, like, Oh, it's so awful. But yeah, dude, that actually carried me into the whole stunt world, because when my friends, they were all going off to college and, like, it seems like every single friend I had went off to college to get degrees and whatever they were going to do, and I was like, I am forever going to be a draw man. Like, I dropped out of high school because I was positive I was going to be a drywall

Jeremy Perkins  4:34  

guy. No shit, oh yeah. And did you ever go back or, you know, dude, that's crazy. That's crazy. I mean, like, I know some guys in the trades legit. I know some guys in the trades didn't complete eighth grade and whatever, but you just don't hear it anymore, right, right? And that

Tommy Passemante  4:51  

well, because, like, even nowadays, man, like anybody that really makes money on a job site is like, those, like, just pencil pushing, I read. Book once, and it's like, bro, if you didn't learn by doing, like, I have no respect for you, yeah,

Jeremy Perkins  5:07  

yeah, you know, yeah, the quicker you can, no, I'm not, I'm not saying for anybody to drop out, but the quicker you can get out there, and the quicker you can start learning, the more money you're gonna make quick Well,

Tommy Passemante  5:18  

instead of being a bartender to get by college. Like, maybe you should take up a small trade and be a laborer, you know, or just an apprentice of any kind, because, like, the amount of money you make versus some random ass college job, man, I can't believe, like, how well we're still getting paid these days. Like, I mean, it really is. It's gotten me by, like, some tight times because the stuff that people don't see with filming and doing the TV shows and all that stuff, and the traveling with the tour, it's really nice when it's happening, but there's huge gaps of time in between, like, if you don't have and like, I'm not, like, some super, like Travis guy, where I have, like, stuff just sponsors out of sponsors, out of sponsors, you know, like I have sponsors, where, if you see me push a product, I only got that product. Like, I'm not. I got eight

Jeremy Perkins  6:14  

foot, five, eight, gypsum wallboard, if you all need it.

Tommy Passemante  6:19  

Yeah, hook brother up, moonlighting over here. Just don't tell the permit office, because,

Jeremy Perkins  6:30  

dude, imagine getting like a fucking, like a drywall sponsorship. You're the only guy out there ripping it up with it. Yeah,

Tommy Passemante  6:37  

come on, man, let's get a sheetrock sponsor or USGS yo USG hook a brother up, bro, I've been trying to get walkie tools, and they keep ducking me, man, they keep ducking me.

Jeremy Perkins  6:49  

But I have to go. We got RYOBI then. I mean, that's the next, that's the next place. I'm just saying, right?

Tommy Passemante  6:58  

Was that? Was that podcast over. That's it. That's a wrap. No, I mean, RYOBI tools is amazing. We should probably use RYOBI tools,

but that's what I'm saying. Man, yep. Like, I never got any huge contracts or anything like that. Like, I made decent money, but, like, as a young man that didn't graduate high school, like you don't learn till later how dumb you've been with your money. And then, you know, you just, you think it's always going to keep coming. And then, like, you know, those times where I did get hurt and I'd have to go six months because they don't pay you. They like, if you're not out there doing it, see, a pimpin, like, buy next up, you know, because, like, unfortunately, Nitro Circus was never like jackass. Like Jackass stayed a family throughout and like, they just always looked out for each other. And, you know, jackass, like you see them as jackass, right? Like they might have a person or two on and off, like they, you know, they had me on and Jackass three, but you don't see them adopting like, new characters until just recently, because everybody's just kind of getting old. But it's like Nitro Circus dude, like from the gate. Like, the only time there was any, like, actual loyalty was the MTV days. And like, that was the greatest days of MTV. Like, Nitro Circus was, was, was MTV, and it was my favorite times period. Like, it just seemed like everything after that was just like, we're, we're trying to get back to that. And it just never, everything was conscious. You know, it's like, it's kind of corny,

Jeremy Perkins  8:40  

like, well, and you guys were like, you guys were coming up at that point in time. Like, you guys have made a name for yourself, but Travis Pastrana was still somewhat of a new character. And, right and, and, what does it go back to? What was it crusty? Well, yes, originally found him. So he was a lot younger than than a lot of those dudes that established themselves in that industry. So he was really still creating a name for himself. And you guys were. You guys just came out the gate with, like, a whole nother fucking genre. Yeah,

Tommy Passemante  9:17  

it was so rad, man. Like just being part of that whole thing growing and helping shape it into what it is today. And I just feel like, I don't know the brand's just not very loyal. Like, do the stuff that really gets on my nerves. It's like, you know, they have a bunch of people that work in the office that just like, are very corporate, yeah. And it's, like, been very frustrating, because, like, you know, it seems like the fans and like, people that have watched me throughout this whole thing, like they understand that, like, I'm, I've been around and, like, helped create that brand I get, like, these cubicle kids that are like, you know, they'll label. Me as, like, street bike, Tommy, Nitro Circus, funny guy. And I'm like, Oh, I'm the funny guy. And, like, they have no idea, like, what I've done or what I am to to the brand whatsoever. They're just some, you know, kid out of college. It's like, oh, I'm going to be the social media control person for Nitro Circus. It's just like, oh, it's been very frustrating of late. So I've really just recently fallen completely back on the trades and just been like, you know, I've never really created a life for myself at home, like, I've never gave my I've always had roots in Annapolis, Maryland, but I've never, like, sat down and be like, You know what? I need to build a life for myself instead of constantly chasing the carrot, you know? Yeah.

Jeremy Perkins  10:43  

I mean, I a lot of people can relate, especially in the trades, is like, you know, we we talk with long haul truckers, with longshoremen, with with anybody that's on the road for a long time, and they could, they could relate to the shit that you're doing, you did a ton of travel, and, like, at some point in time, they're just like, you know, I want to do something a little less extreme. Yeah, I just want to, like, have my weekends or hang out with my kids this,

Tommy Passemante  11:09  

this has been the longest I've been home since I've been an adult. And, like, it's been super nice to have, like, a routine actually be included in future plans. Like, my friends are actually like, oh my god, you can make it this weekend. And I'm like, Yeah, dude. Like, I'm going to be around so I haven't, like, made any, like, career plans. Like, I'm just trying to feel it out right now. So I'm actually doing some pretty cool carpentry stuff around Maryland right now. So I'm doing, like, decks, Full House remodels, additions, you name it to like, cabinets to trim base. I mean, you name it. Man crown, all like top to bottom, doors, windows, just basic carpentry. But what really got me into outside of drywall, like, what shifted my gears was actually through covid. You know, because everybody knows the government's handling of covid was just awful, and it killed the entertainment industry, which I was doing a TV show at the time called the explosion show on Science Channel with Tori baliche, no,

Jeremy Perkins  12:19  

yeah. Check it out. Background on it, yeah,

Tommy Passemante  12:23  

it's, it's just a show where me and Tori bellicci from Mythbusters, yeah, it was like, host, co host, and we went around and we just blew, you know, stuff up and did, like, the science on it, like, actually, like, and it was, like, probably my favorite job I've ever had, like, for real, for real. I wasn't scared to go to set. I got to blow stuff up. It was awesome. I really enjoyed it. But covid killed that because we couldn't film. And like, at the time, I had a barbecue restaurant that I was opening, and I was just over my first year in business, and I got shut down and didn't have any lines of credit because I hadn't been in business long enough. Yeah, so covid killed that. And like I said, like, let me correct the government's handling of covid killed that. So basically, I didn't know really what to do to keep the bills paid. So I actually just went down to Texas, and I stayed for pretty much throughout that whole first year, year and a half down in Texas, luckily, with my friend JT from black rifle coffee, yup, and he had his buddy as a roommate at the time, Jeremy. He's a fighter that was on Ultimate Fighter, okay, a while ago. And like, that was like, but like, he was doing this heavy timber frame stuff, and I fell back on my trades because, like, I had no other I was like, What am I going to do? Well, down in Texas, life didn't change at all. Like the nobody cared about masking, nobody cared about social distancing. It was awesome. It was like life never changed. But like, one day he just needed help, and he was like, Hey, man, you want to come help me? You know, we actually did these, this giant pergola, like he was doing this huge pergola for like, a big commercial bank, that heavy timber frame stuff. And I was like, sick, dude, I'm down. Like, a pergola is easy as hell. Yeah. So we just went out there, slapped up a pergola, and he was this pump because, like, one, I don't do drugs. I had my own truck, I had my own tools, and I'm reliable. So

Jeremy Perkins  14:46  

now with with the timber framing, were you doing like the old style, or was it just, you know, old reclaimed wood that you guys are screwing together? This

Tommy Passemante  14:54  

particular job that I started with was all new wood. Yeah. But it was, and like we did, like it was commercial, so we were, we were fastening to tabs, yeah, you know, stuff like that. Everything was, like, anchored with, with concrete footers and that kind of stuff, yeah. But then we did a bunch of other stuff where there, so if you got, if anybody, if any of the listeners are familiar and want to see my work, I did a lot of the stuff down in Texas at the stockyards. This is probably the job that just came over from the stockyards, but so it's the that gangster ass hotel they built down there. God, what the hell was the name of it is? Man, my brain is just farting like crazy right now. It's a sick like fresh. It's got a number. God, I'm my brain's not working right now. I'm on it. I'm on it. Keep going with the story, though. Yeah, it's like, it's an, it's a Marriott property. But we did a bunch of, like, shiplap stuff with reclaimed wood and like these huge, huge beams for their event center. And a few of the bars have some really, really cool Rough Cut timbers for the bar area. Yeah, God. What the hell was that?

Jeremy Perkins  16:24  

I'm looking, I'm looking, I'm looking. I can't find it.

Tommy Passemante  16:26  

It's killing me. It's, uh, it's in the stockyards. And we were there for a while, man, like, we set these big old, like, fireplace mantels that are just these, like, really ornate, huge pieces of oak, the crescent. No, no. It's like a Oh, the

Jeremy Perkins  16:44  

white one.

Tommy Passemante  16:45  

Oh, man,

Jeremy Perkins  16:47  

hold on a second. It's it's real. It's

Tommy Passemante  16:50  

like the sickest place I've ever seen in my life. As soon as you say, drover,

Jeremy Perkins  16:56  

no, the drover, is it? Uh,

Tommy Passemante  17:00  

is there a number attached to it?

Jeremy Perkins  17:01  

97 West hotel, drover. I want

Tommy Passemante  17:06  

to say it was. It's a Marriott property in it, I think is the drover, because they had just named it when we left, okay, right as we were wrapping up, they that it had the

Jeremy Perkins  17:16  

that was right there, with all the with all the shops, all the brick, yes, shops right there. And then, I mean, that's, that's where, like, all, like, we went down there for PBR worlds, and, like,

Tommy Passemante  17:26  

it's just like, yeah, Claire, yeah. G wagon,

Jeremy Perkins  17:29  

well,

Tommy Passemante  17:30  

it's got the big so, like, when I was leaving, they, they put up this big ass, like, cowboy that was, like a neon cowboy that was loud,

Jeremy Perkins  17:36  

yep, yep. It's the driver right out front. And there's water fountains, everything. Yeah, no, that's crazy. So

Tommy Passemante  17:41  

like the millwork in that place, oh, even on the outside. So when you're looking at the drover, the reclaimed wood to the right on the outside of the building, yep, that's all me, yeah, dude, Jeremy may me, and Jeremy may did a ton of work in there, dude, and that's who I was working with, was we were doing a ton of stuff subcontracted off Texas timber frame. So

Jeremy Perkins  18:08  

every, every, every hotel rooms got, like, exposed beams. So

Tommy Passemante  18:12  

it's like the sickest place ever, and they had just named it the drover. Like, what? Right as we were, like, wrapping up,

Jeremy Perkins  18:19  

dude, it looks like, like, something out of Yellowstone, like, a month, like a Montana lodge type

Tommy Passemante  18:24  

it is the sickest I want to go, like, I want to go stay there. I haven't had a chance to get down there and stay but, but so, like, that's the kind of stuff that I was doing was, like, those big commercial stuffs. And then we traveled out to Nebraska for a couple months, and actually stayed on site and did this, like golf course that was all cedar siding and cedar trim, and it was just, it's just really fun, you know, when you're using it like a big, giant, 24 inch circular saw,

Jeremy Perkins  18:56  

you know, a widow maker? Oh, dude,

Tommy Passemante  18:58  

the coolest tools in the world, man, there's red clown hammers, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jeremy Perkins  19:05  

Well, actually, I used to use them in the automotive big fucking dead oh yammers, big old snap on fucking Yeah. I

Tommy Passemante  19:12  

used to call I was like, Hey, man, go get the Ronald

Jeremy Perkins  19:17  

McDonald. It's fucking crazy. That's awesome, dude. So, I mean, it's kind of cool, like, just to recap, so you started off for a lot of people that that don't understand the progression, and I've been there, and, you know, a young Jeremy young mechanic, I'm like, you know, doing oil changes, doing shit like that. I'm trying to picture myself as, like, the top guy, and how do I get there? And a lot of it is just absorbing knowledge, paying attention, helping out, getting your hands dirty. I mean, you literally went from hanging sheetrock to now doing timber work, finish work, tile, all that shit. And it's like you can make the jump and and it's kind of a light switch too. It's like, next thing you know, you're. Doing it, and you're like, Fuck, I never understood how to get here. My

Tommy Passemante  20:03  

biggest advice to anybody trying to get in the trades is, just get in it. Pay attention to the older dudes, because like to start like, you can do any trade that you want if you can read a tape measure, like, for real, for real. If you can read a tape measure and do some basic math, like you can do, you can build anything. You just got to be around the old dudes that know how to do, like, the little things that are going to help you along your way, and like, planning your next piece, you know, and a lot of that, if you how I felt, like I learned the most was when I would do demo with the older guys really, like, because, like, when back in the early days, when my dad would be like, hey, all these walls need to come down. And we'd do, me and my brother, we would go in there, and we would knock these walls down aimlessly, like with hammers hitting in them as many times as possible, and turning it into dust. And like, the old guys come in just shaking their head. Clean

Jeremy Perkins  21:01  

it all up, you dickheads.

Tommy Passemante  21:05  

Where nowadays, dude, all I do is I run my saws all down, down the middle of

Jeremy Perkins  21:11  

a wall, the mountain, big pieces neatly in the dumpster, off whole sheets, yeah. And

Tommy Passemante  21:16  

like, super clean, easy. And then, like, you know, it's like little things like little touches, like you run your your razor blade, your utility blade, down your joints where the wall that you don't want to mess up meets the wall that you are messing up. You cut that tape joint so it doesn't you don't have to redo the mud on the wall that you don't want to mess up. Nice. You know, it's like little things like that that you pick up from experienced people. It's like little tricks, you know, or, like, just dumb stuff is, like, you know, tacking your trim up so you don't have to hold those 16 foot pieces if you don't have, like, you know, a little lackey to hold it for you. Yeah, you know, dumb stuff, man. Like getting into trades is like the best thing in the world, and I think that everybody should learn how to do it, because, one, it's great money for you to do it. And two, if, even if you plan on doing something else with your life, it's really cool to have that skill to where you don't have to call anybody, yeah,

Jeremy Perkins  22:20  

yeah, for anything. I mean, it's, it's transferable across a lot of planes and like, you know, you could pick and choose what you want to do. I can't stand fucking painting. I will pay a painter to come and fucking paint my house, but I'll tackle pretty much anything. Sometimes it's a little dangerous, but

Tommy Passemante  22:39  

I love paint. Actually, I do. So I'm a drywall finisher. That's a skill that people still look at me like, I'm a wizard. Like, even, like, super old heads are like, they see my skills with that, and they're like, whoa. Like, bro. So like, it was easy for me, because, like, my dad actually started me and finished work by letting me make my own peanut butter sandwiches. And he used to tell me to make the peanut butter as smooth as I could,

Jeremy Perkins  23:06  

mudding and taping. Man, that's yeah in itself.

Tommy Passemante  23:09  

Yeah. He was, that's how he started me. He was like, I'll let you. I'll let you get into in the real mud if you can make your sandwiches smooth.

Jeremy Perkins  23:20  

Shit. That's, that's one way of looking at but you do, you're right. There is. It's wild, because I should have drawn the the connection here, because there is a different temperament to people that mud and tape and paint. Yes, is your normal construction work? Usually, they're, they're, a little less stress free, yeah. So they're just, you know, and they really enjoy their work, and like nothing rattles them, you know, you're not going to get a hot head in there fucking Monday, because

Tommy Passemante  23:54  

framers, bro are the hottest heads. My brother in law's one. Oh my god. Like, strictly framers, crack me up, dude. Like, it is the funniest in the world, how, like, short tempered and like, they know everything until they have to do it. Yep, you know, it's like, hey, they're like, why are you doing it? Like that. It's like, okay, so like, what I'm gonna need you to do the next hour is, you know, just build this bulkhead real quick. And like, they'll put up the framing. Is like, okay, but not now do the drywall. And they're all like,

Jeremy Perkins  24:30  

well, it's also, it's also above them too, you know, that's

Tommy Passemante  24:33  

what they think, yeah, yeah.

Jeremy Perkins  24:34  

That's what they think, yeah, shit, dude. All right, so fast forward a little bit further. Like, what, you know, you had the barbecue gig, you had all this other stuff going on. Um, what do you what are you thinking for the future, your own company? Dude, I could just plan it by ear right now.

Tommy Passemante  24:53  

Like, for real, for real. I don't even know. Like, I just got a bug up my butt. And I was like, you know. I'm over it. And like, I just fully committed to being home. And like, I didn't have a clue with what I was gonna do, but because I'm a skilled dude and I have all my my own tools, I got a running truck. I'm on time. Don't do drugs. So, you know, it's like, in the construction world, you know, I'm, I'm upper management material, bro with just that,

Jeremy Perkins  25:24  

yeah, like, like, pick one,

Tommy Passemante  25:26  

if you Yeah, yeah. And so that's also, it's got, like, a trifecta,

Jeremy Perkins  25:31  

right there,

Tommy Passemante  25:32  

dude in the trades. It's amazing that you can just literally show up, and as long as you show up on time, sober, yeah. It does not matter if you can do it or not. They just there,

Jeremy Perkins  25:48  

yeah. And sometimes not sober, but we don't Yeah,

Tommy Passemante  25:50  

yeah. Dude, back in my day, my dad used to get so mad at me, bro, I'd come in to work just straight out of a bar. Hammered. Yeah, hammered. People like, go home. I'm like, what

Jeremy Perkins  26:06  

we used to have, and I don't know we were around the when I first got into the industry. We were around the time when, like, breathalyzers became a thing in cars, yeah, and so a lot of our customers would leave, like, a fresh mouthpiece in there. Like, yeah, that you just had to blow into it to bring it into the garage. And I'm like, right,

Tommy Passemante  26:28  

fuck. But dude, you know what's so funny? I was actually just talking about this the other day, even today in 2023 right? This one of my, like, almost every Milwaukee tool that I have just this is my pocket knife, every Milwaukee tool that costs like 50, bottle opener, exactly. Dude, my radio has a bottle opener. My my speed square has a bottle opener.

Jeremy Perkins  26:55  

Twist off. Now, anyway, I don't care. I don't get it

Tommy Passemante  26:59  

like, what kind of fancy ass construction, dude, you trying to, like, appeal to here?

Jeremy Perkins  27:06  

I like the, I don't know if you've seen, like, a whole bunch of the parodies, but now they got those, like, silicone, like Coca Cola sleeves that go over the beard.

Tommy Passemante  27:19  

Yeah, dude. Well, dude that that's like a guy that I actually like one of the dudes that had to work with when I was younger, because he was, like, one of those dude, like, one of my dad's longtime friends. Yeah, he was just the drunkest human being ever. And, like, they called the guy grub man. He was just like that. Like, picture a guy named grub with red hair and a beard, like, like a weird, like, not like a cool beard, but like a scrappy beard that, that is exactly who that Oh. He was just

Jeremy Perkins  27:53  

oh no, but marble light and Budweiser,

Tommy Passemante  27:56  

that's what No dude. Way he would smoke, but it was like American spirits, and it was like he drank Bush lights. And he would knock back a 30 pack a day, starting at two o'clock when he would get off, he would go out to his white Beretta, and he'd pump his truck, and he would pull out warm Bush, light out of a 30 pack, and he would stick it in this, like 10 year old 711, cup that he had, and he would stick his straw down right into it. He would drive home like that. And he'd be

Jeremy Perkins  28:36  

like, trick, the trick,

Tommy Passemante  28:39  

get out of here. So, like, long story, but I don't have children of my own, but I got my little guy will. He's my ex stepson. He's been in my life since he was three weeks old. Yeah. And he's 10 now, and he, like, likes to play Roblox. And like, he facetimes me all the time. And like, we play, we play Roblox with FaceTime in the background. So, like, we can talk. Yeah, so he's just trying to FaceTime me, like, I was like, Oh, I gotta turn that that put me on silent. My bad, homie. No, no, you're

Jeremy Perkins  29:11  

good. You're good. I mean, fucking my kids learn how to use use Alexa. And it's tied to my wife's phone, so it's like, call Jeremy Perkins, and then they call me, yeah, and so I it comes up as my wife's number. I'm like, shit, what's up? And it's like, my kids. And

Tommy Passemante  29:29  

it's like, Dad, dude, I actually got Travis real bad one time. Because this was like, before we all knew, like, this is like, right? He hadn't like, to, like, right out of the gate, because, like, you know, they sent him stuff, had that prototype, but it was, like, it was like, his wife's Lindsay's number. And like, we, we, we're all drunk, and we hit him up. And, like we said, a lot. Said, Call Travis. And like, he was like, Hey, babe. I was like, what? And he was like, Who's this? I was like, I don't know, bro, this is just this girl's phone I'm hanging out with.

Jeremy Perkins  30:17  

That's gonna be the worst thing ever.

Tommy Passemante  30:20  

He was like, so pissed that he didn't even recognize my boy my voice, which, like, really, like, blew me away. Yeah, he like, saw red that fast. And he was like, what you doing with my wife's phone? I was like, I don't want to do we were just hanging out. She didn't say anything about being married. And he was like, just, he had this, like, pause right then. And then we realized you don't want to

Jeremy Perkins  30:46  

take down any further.

Tommy Passemante  30:49  

He was so, oh, dude, I never heard that voice before. And then he didn't even think it was funny after, like, he wasn't like, Ah, good one guys. He was just like, stop playing click, that's there. Oh, man,

Jeremy Perkins  31:04  

let's, I mean, obviously our listeners are probably itching, what is your crazy, craziest fucking accident you've had, other than, I mean, was the ball pit the accident of of your life? Or,

Tommy Passemante  31:19  

I mean, that was, you know,

Jeremy Perkins  31:20  

or the foam pit, ball pit, Jesus Christ,

Tommy Passemante  31:23  

yeah. Well, so you're not the first person that said that. So like, well, it's kind of like, so like, when it's like, I'm never going to correct people on was and where, and we're there. I knew what you were talking about. Like, I hate it when people feel like they are. You didn't use a comma, shut up. You know, whatever. Fall pit. Fall pit. It's a big pit that's safe, whatever. Okay, yeah, you

Jeremy Perkins  31:49  

missed it. Yeah,

Tommy Passemante  31:51  

I wasn't even worried about it. Like, I let that thing sail right on by No dude. So, like, that started my career, but that was one of, maybe, I want to say, well, over a dozen times in my life where I, personally, in my brain, was like, This is it? Like, I died right here. Like, this, this is where I'm dying. Like, I'm I'm not gonna survive this, dude.

Jeremy Perkins  32:14  

But, like, why? Like, after that accident, what? Like, I would have been like, fucking I'm done. I'm not doing this ever again. So that's

Tommy Passemante  32:23  

where I was initially. But then I was 20 years old, like 21 and it like sparked this whole thing locally. Because, like, I was locally, well known to start with, just from being like, that's how I even Travis, like, when they were filming, like he was looking for people that would, like, you know, do random cool shit. And everybody kept talking about me locally, because they all knew they're like, I was, like, just class clown, and would do anything, basically, and that's how I got the invite over there. But like, man, it's just I didn't mean, first of all, I didn't mean to, like, overshoot the foam pit. Like, that was an accident. Like, you know, everybody gives me way more credit than than I deserve all that. But So initially, because it hurt and, like, I thought that, like, you know, now I have to live with these lingering injuries my whole life. Still to this day, it's the only one that I feel every single day. But it was right after that, and I'm 21 years old, and I'm downtown Annapolis, and dude, I was, like, everybody and their mother was like, buying me drinks. And like, everybody wanted to talk to me. And like, whenever I was around, like, a group of chicks, like, all the dudes were always like, you don't know who this is. And like, you know, now I have, all of a sudden, I have these like this attention from like, chicks that are way out of my league, way out of my league, you know. And like,

Jeremy Perkins  33:55  

I see, I see why you did the next one fully.

Tommy Passemante  33:59  

Like that, girls, was the original reason why I got into Nitro Circus and, like, I just didn't want to be boring, you know. And once I like, was it just like, slowly, like trip by trip by trip by trip. It was like, you know, at that time, like, the coolest place I had been was, like, Florida to go visit my grandma, you know? And then all of a sudden I'm like, traveling around the world. And every single time it was just like, this last minute, like, I got a passport in 24 hours because randomly, Andy Bell couldn't make it to Romania for romaniax. And Greg Godfrey was like, Hey, do you want to race Romania? So I was like, when is it? He was like, oh, it's like, I think he said Thursday. That just ran, just for sake of story. He was like, Friday. And it was like, Wednesday. And I was all like, okay, and like, I ended up getting my passport within 24 hours. I. Uh, it cost me 980 bucks, and I had to do everything, actually, in DC, like, I was in Washington, DC, at the official, like, passport place and the embassies, because I had to do the Romanian thing. I had to go to their embassy. I had to get, like, all the stuff. And I had, like, but like, these are the stories. And dude, that was the first time I ever got recognized either, like, when I was on that trip in Romania. This dude comes up and he's like, dummy, you know? And I was like, holy shit. This is awesome, yeah? So, you know, it just, it was just too cool to pass up, man. And then, like, in between it all, I still had a regular job. Like, it's always been that to this day, like, Yeah, always had construction work that has carried me through. Oh, and like before, I forget this totally sidetracked has nothing to do with nothing. But as far as, like, Brunt boots, right? So when you guys sent me the boots, right? Yeah, I get the boots. I put them on, I'm like, these are freaking awesome. And, like, right out of the gate, like, best boots I've ever had, not even, I'm not just saying it like I've had so up until that pair. Like, my favorite pair was timberland pros. But this knocks those out of the water, because I've really put them through the paces, because I got Flack. Like, you know how like, nerds are, like Ford, Chevy, and like, you know, you get the nerds Right? And, like, even the tool nerds that are, like, Milwaukee, DeWalt, whatever. Like, I can't stand that shit. Like, you will never know the difference in that tool. Like, ever. It's like, do you like, red or yellow shit?

Jeremy Perkins  36:53  

But they're both a hammer to me,

Tommy Passemante  36:55  

yeah. But like, that's what I'm saying. Like, boots, dude. Like, I was like, stoked. I was like, these are extremely well made. They're super comfortable. But then, like, I got the nerds that were like, Oh, dude, good, good, good, good, Red Wing, dude. And I'm all like, bro, shut up. And they're like, I bought a pair of brunch and they were ruined in like three months. And I was like, send me a picture, and they send me this picture, right? And the toe looks like somebody kicked the end of metal studs, like a stack of metal studs for two days straight. And I'm all like, no wonder. You know, the rest of the boot looks amazing and but here's I got, like, super fired up because, like, as soon as I got my boots, I was like, There's no way that these are going to be, you know, trash, he said, three months. So I was like, he said, I bet you $100 those aren't going to last three months. And I was like, $100 bet. So I got this bet going on with this guy with, with your boots, right? There you go. And, dude, I've, like, put him through the paces. I've worn them every single day. I'm being honest with the bet, right? Yeah? And like, I've tried to do things, like, I walk on nails all the time. That's the only thing that's really I got one nail through the side leather, but it didn't pierce the actual boot. Like, just, just the side leather, yeah? And like, I it was my own fault, like, that kind of thing. But like, as far as where I was, like, I heal kick deck all the time. So, like, when I'm putting, like, Trex deck, yeah, so like, I run through boots like crazy, because, like, I'll heel, kick it in place and then hold it, you know. So, like, I get a nice tight gap, right? Yeah. So it holds on those spacers really well, you know, but it smokes the heels, right? And like that glue will give up, dude, I've been running these things like crazy, and not a single thing's wrong with them, I'm saying. So I cannot wait to get my 100 bucks from this clown bro. And, like, I shouldn't say clown, because he's a nice guy, and, like, he was nice in the comments and messages and stuff. But I was like, Dude, I'm fully like, I'm in 400 like, these boots are amazing. What boot Do you got? By the way, the Perkin.

Jeremy Perkins  39:19  

Oh, well, look at that.

Tommy Passemante  39:23  

Yeah, built tough. Built up. Tough is out there, yeah, dude. So like, I like a full steel toe, yeah, I like a high boot, like a thick sole, because I got a thick so, what's up? No, but, you know, because like we're doing constantly, two C's, yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, man, like we're doing demo all the time, and like nails are a real issue, and so far, they've been not an issue. So

Jeremy Perkins  39:56  

that was one of the biggest things for me. And now. Even really talking product. I am talking product. But one of the things that I had a problem with when I was in the trades and coming up was like, Dude, I was wearing like the $99 the $89 Yeah.

Tommy Passemante  40:13  

And, like, everybody, right,

Jeremy Perkins  40:15  

right. Yeah. And, and one thing I'll tell you, as I got older and injury prone, knee, back issues, all that stuff. You sit there and you're like, I was, I was looking at a lot of older guys, and they're wearing just like, straight up new balance. And you're like, right dude, like, you're not going to wear a work boot. And they're like, I don't care my foot gets cut off. I just want to be fucking comfortable for the Yeah. And that was, that was kind of the thesis for a lot of this stuff was like, yeah, it's got to be well, it's got to be safe, but at the same time, comfort is, like, every key, right? I'm standing that concrete fucking 12 hours plus a day, yeah, and it's just fucking, that's what's going to put me in the grave, not the fucking Yeah.

Tommy Passemante  40:55  

Dude, my brother, my brother, to this day, he's, like, the best contractor I know, period. He's the kind of guy that goes to work, that puts in a full day, comes home from work, changes his tools out, and then goes back to work because he got some side job. Yeah. And the days when he doesn't have a side job, I see him like, at at his house, he'll be watching TV, and I'm like, What do you got? What do you got on? And he's like, watching work. I'm like, bro, what are you doing? Stop it. But he's a tennis shoe guy. He loves tennis shoes. Yeah, there's

Jeremy Perkins  41:28  

that. I mean, the Cali crowd. I mean those guys are just like vans out, you know, all day long, just like, I don't like vans, vans, Dicky shorts, that's it. And Dickies are trash too.

Bro. I mean, I can't hate because it's a vibe. I mean, you don't fuck with that SoCal vibe, but at the same time, like,

Tommy Passemante  41:52  

bro, it's just trash.

Jeremy Perkins  42:01  

US people up in the northeast, fucking Yeah. Can't take a fucking hot day melting

Tommy Passemante  42:07  

dude me, I'd prefer it. Yeah, for real. I can't do the cold man, like, right now, like, I love wearing shorts and T shirts. Like I love it, but the cold my body shuts down like it just hurts.

Jeremy Perkins  42:24  

I could imagine. I just saw the fucking X ray. You posted

Tommy Passemante  42:28  

knees fucking shot. Since 2004 has been like that.

Jeremy Perkins  42:36  

That's powerful. They couldn't put like gum in there or something like cartilage in,

Tommy Passemante  42:41  

like they can, but they say that, like, the only way to fix what I have is a full knee replacement. And they they have to do those every 20 years, like, and that's if you're lucky, it goes that far. And like, I just don't want to do multiple knee replacements, yeah, yeah. So I'm trying to hold out as long as possible.

Jeremy Perkins  43:06  

Yeah. Well, my dad got his hip done, and he's like, he feels like, fucking Superman. Now he's, that's

Tommy Passemante  43:12  

what everybody says. And I'm all like, not waiting, dude,

Jeremy Perkins  43:16  

he's up there doing farm chores and shit. I'm like, Dad, Jesus, he goes. I generally got it done a lot earlier. Shit. Well, fuck, man, this has been, this has been unbelievable. It's great to get to know you. It's great to get your backstory, because I've actually listened to a few podcasts with you, and I obviously, you know, know the story, but, yeah, it's always

Tommy Passemante  43:44  

asked about, like, the actual, like, life that led me to it, and like, I'm still in it, like nobody. So when I was negotiating my contract on the on the 3d movie, I actually had to jump out of a ditch that had a giant jackhammer in and I'm all, like, busting up this ground. I'm like, trying to take a time out so I can talk to my agent at the time to negotiate a movie deal. It's It was hilarious, but I've never gotten out of construction. Always been in construction, and it was really nice to talk about that side of things. Hell

Jeremy Perkins  44:18  

yeah. Hell yeah. Well, thank you for everything. And is there anything you want to plug, dude?

Tommy Passemante  44:24  

Just you guys and, like, maybe kicker. Kicker audio just gave me a new set of speakers for my truck that I'm putting in next week. No,

Jeremy Perkins  44:33  

no, there you go.

Tommy Passemante  44:35  

It's a little thing, bro, 50 that I'm putting, you know, really rad kicker stereo in just because I'm in it the most, you know, because, like, in construction, you know, you're that's the one thing that I wish I could change about construction, is the commutes, you know, are always trash, dude. I

Jeremy Perkins  44:54  

grew up, I grew up with, like, we grew up with the sound systems, right? And, yeah. And for me. It doesn't do more, but I never was able to afford one. So, like, like, when I finally get that money, I'm gonna put, like, fucking subs in the back. Yeah, I'm gonna be the dude that's trunk rattling down the road at like, fucking 50 years

Tommy Passemante  45:12  

old, yeah, dude. The thing is, I didn't even go subs. Like, I went really sick, door speakers, like, their Q series, yeah, really, really amazing door speakers. And I just got a little, like, hideaway 10 say, like, I'm just for clear, clear base, but yeah, I didn't mean to get sidetracked, but yeah. And I know, I know you're probably trying to wrap this up, and I'm just

Jeremy Perkins  45:36  

glad, no dude. I mean, people don't realize, like, that was what we did was fucking stereos. Like, yeah, dude, my buddy had underglow underneath his car. It was, it was, like, the fucking coolest things, yeah, what was it? Old, Oldsmobile, Cutlass Supreme. Like, it was like,

Tommy Passemante  45:51  

I had a Delta 88 bro

Jeremy Perkins  45:57  

sitting on 18 Chromes. I

Tommy Passemante  46:00  

had 412 inch solo barracks and like, so I've been with kicker, like, my whole life, like, and they were one of my first sponsors, which is funny because, like, they were first set of speakers that I bought for explorer that I had. I had four twelves just and like, no door speakers, no Dynamat, like, just subs and amps, yep, that's it. That's it. And that. And the Pioneer with the dolphins that would like, like, digitally, kind of, like, do that thing, okay,

Jeremy Perkins  46:32  

I never saw him that's crazy. Like, the

Tommy Passemante  46:35  

head unit that, like, it had

Jeremy Perkins  46:38  

cool show, like a Tamagotchi. It's

Tommy Passemante  46:41  

like the sickest thing in the world, dude.

Jeremy Perkins  46:44  

Change Colors and oh yeah. And was like,

Tommy Passemante  46:47  

you know, I had to take it with me when I go in a restaurant. Oh,

Jeremy Perkins  46:50  

take the face plate right off into the case, into the pocket. But then, dude, I'm done. I'm dating myself. But my my wife, when I first met her, she had, like, the DVD screen that, like, oh yeah, pulled out and then, like, flipped up automatically.

Tommy Passemante  47:08  

I had that bro and like, I was the coolest kid. Like, nobody had that. Nobody.

Jeremy Perkins  47:15  

It was so expensive.

Tommy Passemante  47:17  

Yeah, it was, uh, yeah, I miss those days,

Jeremy Perkins  47:21  

dude, those are good times. No fucking care in the world.

Tommy Passemante  47:24  

Check out my CD collection as I go down the road and I'm rifling through my CDs, dude,

Jeremy Perkins  47:30  

all up on the visor. Dude,

Tommy Passemante  47:32  

no, you had your bangers in the visor, but you had the book. You had the book.

Jeremy Perkins  47:38  

There's four here, four there. It was fucking awesome. And then if, if you really made it, you had like, a six or eight CD changer, and the trunk,

Tommy Passemante  47:46  

I had no loot for the changer because I spent all my subs.

Jeremy Perkins  47:53  

Fuck man, we I feel like we need to have a follow up podcast on the 90s.

Tommy Passemante  47:57  

Let's go nostalgia, baby. Shit.

Jeremy Perkins  48:01  

Well, hey, thanks for being on and this was fucking epic.

Tommy Passemante  48:05  

I appreciate the time, man. And as a special thanks to

Jeremy Perkins  48:08  

our loyal listeners, we're giving $10 off your next purchase of $60 or more@bruntworkware.com Use Discount Code bucket talk 10. That's fuckin talk 10. You.