Speaker 0:00

I mean, we jokingly call it a cult, right? Yeah. Very jokingly. It's a joke. We hit we hit. It's a very funny joke. We hit a lot of the criteria of a cult.

Speaker 1 0:09

You know, you know how I know we're not a cult?

Speaker 0:13

No one's dying.

Speaker 1 0:14

Close. That's uh we're not run by perverts. Yeah. You know, the cults, I I love I love uh cult documentaries and TV shows because uh the first half hour you're always like, hey, this is some pretty cool ideas. And then it always turns out the uh the leader's a pervert uh or a polygamist. It's not that there's anything wrong with that, if you're into that, but you know, it just kind of defeats the entire mentality of this life-changing idea. Uh, we don't do that. We don't we don't do that. That we know of. That we know. Yeah, at least maybe maybe we're just not a part of the real cult. It's not a cult, guys. I'm Andy Zimmerman. I'm here at the Chicago Bocce Club, and today we're gonna talk about bocce music and life with my good friend Patric Gerstmayr . How are you doing, Patric? Good. Good. Am I seeing that? That's right. Yeah, Gerstmayr. All right, let's flip the call. Call near ball. That is two in a row. Ball on the wall. Ball on the ball. Wow. What a time to be alive. All right, good botchy. Good botch. Patrick, how long have you been playing botching?

Speaker 1:42

I think about ten years. I think that's I was definitely like uh a sub a lot for the first year or so. And then I uh captained a team, and actually the first team I captained, we won the league that we played.

Speaker 1 2:01

So what league was that?

Speaker 2:03

That was uh Brick House. Okay. First like early. The first season brickhouse. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 2:08

Okay, so that's what the American Bocce Company. Uh, you're you're from Chicago?

Speaker 2:13

From Chicago.

Speaker 1 2:14

And you how did you find the American Bocce Company?

Speaker 2:16

Well, so I worked in uh the restaurant industry for most of my life. And uh I knew Matt, Alex, Alicia, but Dan Spomer was another person who sort of got me involved, and uh I subbed with him a lot. Um and then, you know, like it's been for most of us, I think we all just kind of became a community and that's it. I was sucked in.

Speaker 1 2:52

And how quick how quickly did did you connect with Bocce? Like how quickly did you know like you wanted to do this, at least as a pastime?

Speaker 2:59

Yeah. Uh I mean, definitely once I captained that team, uh, it was kind of I played every week from that point on. And then a couple years down the road, it was multiple days a week, so on and so forth.

Speaker 1 3:17

And when I got involved, you were playing multiple days a week. Right. You started managing leagues for a while. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 3:23

Managed uh leagues for a couple nights a week. Um, then I started playing more tournaments around the country. Um, but really, uh, that's not a good ball. Uh, really, as far as the long court situation, it's been like, yes, I played some leagues over the years, but or tournaments over the years, but this last year has been where I've really settled into long court.

Speaker 1 3:54

And I believe that has everything to do with this facility here, right? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:00

I basically live here now. Uh as we all know.

Speaker 1 4:03

Can confirm. Uh so when you started playing bocce, I mean, did you ever think it would get to this level? Uh, I mean, for you even, did you did you imagine like a future where you'd be playing, you know, hyper competitive tournaments, traveling for tournaments, playing longer courts?

Speaker 4:21

So that's a a yes and no. Uh no, I don't think I would have considered boshi to be that sport. Uh, but yes, I played competitive sports my whole life. Uh I played baseball, volleyball at very high levels. Um, so as I got older, it kind of made sense that I could settle into something that I wouldn't get hurt every other day. Yeah. I think Is that one me or one you?

Speaker 1 4:52

That's one you. All right. I think botch is a uh it's a hilarious juxtaposition of the idea of it's an old man's sport, and oh, how could you get injured playing bocce? Oh, I've done it. You know, thankfully I haven't gotten seriously injured, but I think people are immediately discounting the highest levels of bace, where it is very much a sport and it's very much competitive and athletic, you know? Yeah, where you don't necessarily have to be athletic, but an athletic build and uh athletic practice mentality goes a long way to separating yourself from the recreational crowd.

Speaker 5:30

And I think we've talked about it before that certain sports that if you played kind of translate to bocce, and baseball being one of them. Um, you know, I don't know the truth of that, but obviously I've kind of adapted, and I'm sure that baseball's given me something out of that. I mean, hand-eye coordination, yeah, um, just you know, for simple release of a ball. Well, yeah.

Speaker 1 5:56

So you're in the Chicago Bocce League, the America's first semi-pro bocce league. I know you were you had a very interesting season. Um and you had been, you know, practicing leading up to the draft. I I bet you were expecting me to be drafted. Actually, I was not. You were expecting to not be drafted.

Speaker 6:18

I was you were hoping. I of course I hoped, but I showed up to the draft firmly believing I wasn't getting drafted. I sat across three other guys, one who basically had the inside info that he was getting drafted, and the other two thinking they had a shot. The other two did not get drafted. Uh, the guy who got the inside info did get drafted, and I was the second to last pick of the entire draft. Last pick on my team.

Speaker 1 6:53

So as a grown-ass man in that situation, like how did how did it feel to hear your name called?

Speaker 7:00

Oh, it was awesome. I mean, I did get a tap on the shoulder late in the draft saying, hey, we're pushing for you.

Speaker 1 7:06

Yeah.

Speaker 7:07

Uh so I got very excited very quickly. Um still wasn't certain that it was gonna happen. Uh, but sure enough, they called my name. Um, and then, you know, obviously I didn't know how much I would be playing within that league, but certain things happened, and you know, by mid-season I was starting and playing uh pretty much every week.

Speaker 1 7:35

I think I think your ascension was the most noticeable in in our community.

Speaker 7:41

And yeah, I got lucky in that respect.

Speaker 1 7:44

Yeah.

Speaker 7:44

I mean, lucky and I did put in the work for sure.

Speaker 1 7:47

Certainly did put in the work. Uh, but you know, back back to the moment you know you were drafted, like, is there anything like in your life you can compare that to? You know, when we get to a certain age, you know, we we have very few surprises. Uh, we have very few new ideas to you know celebrate or feel emotional about. Like, is there anything in your life you can compare that moment to?

Speaker 8:09

I mean, honestly, no. I mean, for baseball and volleyball, I pretty much always knew that I was gonna be on these teams. Um like there wasn't a big draft. I mean, our draft was very similar to something you'd see for the NFL or NBA. Um well, I mean, even like uh like getting your first Nintendo or something. I mean, there's a oh yeah. I mean, uh, or I would say it's up there with like my first car or something like that. But uh very new experience, um very cool experience. And you know, I was so hyped about it that from the day I got drafted and the day these courts opened, I literally spent hours and hours a day.

Speaker 1 8:55

You know, and told me for years, as soon as that club's open, I'm not gonna be there every day, and he was, and you know, a lot of people said that to me, and I don't see them.

Speaker 9:05

Yeah, I mean, and it's awesome. I live this is the best club in the in the country for sure. Um, but you know, it's more than just bocce courts, they got great lounge, workspace, bar, outdoor courts. Um, so yeah, it's easy to be here.

Speaker 1 9:24

You know what I'm always uh surprised about here? It's the people.

Speaker 9:28

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 9:29

Man, it's a great community. You know, I'm we're both you know, I'm in my late 40s, you're in your young 50s. Yeah. And you know, people like us don't get new friends, you know? Yeah. And and we're just adding them. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 9:48

I've said this many times over. Yeah, you know, uh, I have a bunch of lifelong friends and whatnot, but the people that I hang out with regularly are people I either met through bocce or friends that I had before bocce that now play bocce.

Speaker 1 10:06

Yeah, and I think you know, life has a way of you know evolving friendships where of course, yeah, we both have you know friends for 30, 40 years. Uh I don't I see those friends maybe twice a year. It doesn't make our connection, you know, any less strong, especially with like text messaging, yeah, you know, social media these days. Uh but and we're we're racking the balls. Yes. You don't mind. Yes. Um, with you know, we can text and communicate and we stay in touch and and we still have like a uh deep affection for each other as old friends, but you're right, it's our uh the people that we hang out with now. This is the community go to dinner, have a drink, go to a Cubs game, obviously go to bocce leagues. Like these are all bocce people, but yeah, yeah.

Speaker 10:50

I mean, we jokingly call it a cult, right? Yeah, yeah, very jokingly. It's a joke. We hit we hit it's a very funny joke. We hit a lot of the criteria of a cult.

Speaker 1 11:00

You know, you know how I know we're not a cult?

Speaker 11:04

No one's dying.

Speaker 1 11:06

Close. That's uh we're not run by perverts. Yeah, you know, the cults. I I love I love uh cult documentaries and TV shows because uh the first half hour you're always like, hey, these are some pretty cool ideas, and then it always turns out the uh the leader's a pervert uh or a polygamist. It's not that there's anything wrong with that if you're into that, but you know, it just kind of defeats the entire mentality of this life-changing idea. Uh we don't do that. We don't we don't do that. That we know of that we know. Yeah, at least maybe maybe we're just not a part of the real cult. It's not a cult, guys. All right, so yeah, stop talking for one second. Yeah, rolled a really good ball.

Speaker 11:53

I've at least hit all my Rafas, but my pointing hasn't been spot on yet. Oh there's he missed! Yeah, I sure did. Let's try that again. Put your feet down there.

Speaker 1 12:12

So, have you been to any good concerts lately?

Speaker 12:16

Actually, this summer I have not been to a single concert. I was I was supposed to go to 311. Uh you didn't go. No. I I wanted to. We should have, but I know this. I know that you're a big 311 fan. How many times have you seen them? I mean, definitely north of 2530.

Speaker 1 12:35

Okay, well, 311's not like fish where you have an exact number that you're brought out. Okay, yeah.

Speaker 12:40

I mean, it's actually pretty close. There's sure. There's a nutty community of 311 fans. Okay. In a good way.

Speaker 1 12:48

No concerts yet this summer. What was the last great concert you went to?

Speaker 12:53

I feel like I went to something that wasn't necessarily my pick that was really good. I'm trying to remember what that was. I got that. Thank you. I will say this though. You know, I worked for Jam Productions, which is they have which ball is this one, right?

Speaker 1 13:10

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 13:11

They have multiple venues throughout Chicago. So I used to go, I used to see a hundred concerts a year for a good majority of my life. It's pretty crazy.

Speaker 1 13:22

I mean, I used to go to way more concerts than I go now. Yeah, of course. And the anticipation, you know, of the concert, it's I I'm seeing like bigger and bigger acts now because I feel like it's more worth it. Where I was way way more of a club seeing guy. And I just think, I mean, I I think it's my age that I'm not like as connected with I mean for sure. And you know, smaller acts play smaller venues, and I just I don't have my finger on the pulse of what's current really, so I'm not seeing as many club shows, but I do miss them.

Speaker 13:57

Yeah, I mean, I miss the idea of going to see my bands, and what I don't miss, and probably the biggest reason I don't go to as many shows, is those big crowds. Yeah, they don't vibe as much. Yeah, yeah. All right. But I mean, I still listen to music nonstop all the time.

Speaker 1 14:19

And any anything right now, like in your heavy rotation, like where what are you vibing on?

Speaker 14:25

Like whether it's current or yeah, today I busted out Jane's Addiction, Nothing Shocking. Great album. I just listened to is that the first one? That's the second. The second one.

Speaker 1 14:36

Okay, so the first one was a live album, triple X, yeah. So I just listened to that album like a month ago. It was out of the blue. I was making a playlist. I put a song on, you know, for nostalgia. So good. All right, you're playing it a little too well to be hanging out here like this. It makes me makes me rethink my entire career. You have like a like a guilty pleasure.

Speaker 15:02

I always I always think like pop music would be a guilty pleasure, but like you have a do you have any I used to anything into that, and this is a conversation that we kind of had at one point because of the witties, is I love incubates. I've seen them a ton of times. Sure. And I used to kind of and 311 for that matter, kind of call it a guilty pleasure. But as I've gotten older, I'm like, no, they're just great bands, they're awesome live. Yeah, yeah. Um, when I was younger though, I listened to Bobby Brown religiously. Religiously.

Speaker 1 15:37

I thought it was the ass. Do you know, you know, my like you've seen me without a hat, right? When my hair is combed. Yeah. That that hairstyle stuff has like uh a teenage like ode to Bobby Brown with a little like you know 50s affect to it. So that that Gumby, uh, I was a huge Bobby Brown fan.

Speaker 15:56

That hit the back wall. I'm listening still.

Speaker 1 15:59

I'm actually, I would, I would dare say I'm still a huge Bobby Brown. I mean I'll listen to it for sure. I mean, that don't be cruel album had so many hits on it and my playlist to this day. Tenderrone.

Speaker 16:16

Tender deep cut. Tenderone. What was the one Britney Spears covered a Bobby Brown song?

Speaker 1 16:23

What?

Speaker 16:24

Yeah.

Speaker 1 16:25

I didn't know that.

Speaker 16:27

Um, I mean, I'm not I'm not very hip to what what was the first song you said from him? Um no, I just I said Oh, that don't be cruel apples. I think it's actually don't be cruel because that was the title chat. Yeah, don't be cruel, I really little sad. Or no, I'm gonna it wasn't that my prerogative she covered. Yes, yeah clever, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cover.

Speaker 1 16:46

Her for all of a sudden it's her prerogative. Yeah, yeah. Hey, you know. I remember do you remember the videos?

Speaker 16:53

Absolutely. So yeah, we are showing our because oh, Janet Jackson's another like deep cut, guilty pleasure. I knew the whole chair dance up and down. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 17:05

Rhythm Nation, yeah.

Speaker 17:06

Rhythm Nation, yeah.

Speaker 1 17:08

I um I had forgotten how much I love Janet Jackson, and I was in Las Vegas taking a poop in one of those giant bathrooms in the back of the MGM the Grand, you know, less traffic. And it's all of a sudden on the little speakers escapade.

Speaker 17:27

Oh, love that song too.

Speaker 1 17:28

What a jam.

Speaker 17:29

Yeah.

Speaker 1 17:29

And I'm there doing my business, and I hear escapade, and I just went way back. Way back to a ton. I was so into that, shamelessly into that, you know, as yeah, enough to to not care about what the interesting thing is that James Addiction and Bobby Brown, they coexisted in my life at the same time.

Speaker 17:55

Oh, of course. Yeah. It's kind of nuts.

Speaker 1 17:58

It's kind of nuts. Uh, stereotypically, yeah, but you know, you're not.

Speaker 18:04

I wouldn't call you a regular fella. A regular what? Fella? Yeah. That's oh man, that's a terrible ball.

Speaker 1 18:11

Um, so I came home and I put escapade on one of the ABC playlists. And then people started putting it on other playlists, and it kind of became like the ABC like vibe that you're like, that one song.

Speaker 18:23

That's happening right now. Wimp Biscuit, Alanus Morissette, like all these people are having these this resurgence.

Speaker 1 18:31

Well, I would it makes sense, but well tell you, those two artists never made any of my playlists. Right, nor will they ever.

Speaker 18:38

Actually, Billy, Bridget, Milan, and I listened to Alanus Morissette songs on the way home from Rockford on Saturday. Yeah, so glad I didn't go.

Speaker 1 18:48

Well, you would have lost us, too. Yeah, I know. I would have been covered in uh road rash from hurl it hurtling myself.

Speaker 18:56

You know, Taylor Hawkins from Food Fighters was originally in Alanis Morissette's band. I believe it. Yeah, he was the drummer for her.

Speaker 1 19:04

There's nothing wrong with her. I've just why would you know why would I listen to her? Fair enough. You're putting on a shooting clinic here. The only one you missed was the one you said I haven't recked yet. Good lesson for the people at home there.

Speaker 19:20

Yeah, shut your mouth.

Speaker 1 19:21

Yeah, let your ball do the talking. So you're an old man. Thanks. So am I in all of your years, do you think there's a lesson you've learned or a principle you have in life that you understand deeply enough to to pass it to on to others? Like, is there a tidbit of wisdom, whether it's cliche or not?

Speaker 19:50

Like, is there something anything I say in this question is going to be pretty cliche, but I would say what is sort of kind of gotten embedded in me certainly over the last few years? A lot of it comes from this community and bocce and just how you're treating people. And you know, you the interesting thing about this community is that we have all walks of life. We have millionaires, we have service industry people, we have you know EMTs, you know, we firefighters, you think about it. Um and at the end of it, it's just you gotta be kind to each other. You know, this is still competitive sport, and it's easy to get kind of heated at times or whatever, but at the end of the game, handshake, hug, move on your way. Yeah.

Speaker 1 20:43

I I can relate to that. That's beautiful. Um, I've you know, I've played bocce longer than most people in this community, and you know, I started playing in 2008, which isn't that long ago, you know, it's not even 20 years ago, but I remember times with like heated arguments, you know, and yelling and you know, arguing about measurements and insane things. And like the thought of that like being a part of my existence is absurd to me now. Because you know, being a community leader, right? Yeah, we we just disallow that, you know, in our in our community, yeah. American bocce community, especially, which has evolved into the Chicago Bacce Club. Uh, but I um I can remember that, and you know, it's probably not by accident because you know, we were introduced to bocce that way. Yeah, it's you know, the tape measure wasn't the final call. It was, you know, it was up for dispute, you know, and there were different measuring uh units. The rules were up for grabs. Uh there was no uniformity to anything, and there was no leadership system. So well, and there wasn't refs. Yeah, there were no refs. Yeah. Uh or did you still are uh no refs, no leadership, no established set of rules. So, you know, pride ruled everything. Yes. And We were brought into bacce that way. And although we saw ourselves as very different, we still acted the same way, you know, as as the people before us. And, you know, with the log cabin bacce community, I, you know, I ran that uh I I led I led that community to dissolve fights, but I was also guilty of it myself. And some fights we would just allow because it was just a part of the game, right? And it was until it wasn't until American Bocce Company that you know you realize, oh, you can end all of this. Like, who's to argue rules when you have a set rule book? Who's to argue with a ref when he makes a call? You know, like who's to argue with your teammates when you're not that good either, right? You know, and and all of the things become more and more evident. And I think it's because I mean it it's a testament to our community. And you said, you know, agreed, be nice. Uh, and I think I think I've really settled down. I think it's easier to settle down, you know, after your 30s too, right? Because like what am I gonna yell at from when am I gonna get in a fight?

Speaker 23:11

Well, and my point was that it's something that you can sort of input into your everyday life outside of bocce. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. I that's the case for me, is like I've I treat people differently than I used to because you know, life is another sport, another game. You know what I mean? Uh not necessarily winning and losing, but there are wins and losses in life, so why not you know attribute it all to the same thing?

Speaker 1 23:46

I love that. So let's just full circle it here. I mean you talked about you know settling into a nicer existence, you know, with you know being kind, uh, but do you find any direct parallels from your your journey in bocce here to life or or like something that you something that you learned on the court that directly translates to real life?

Speaker 24:16

Absolutely. I mean, despite the fact that I played sports at a high level before bocce, I didn't really have to try very hard. I was just naturally good at it. Sure. Um and with bocce, I obviously did have to try really hard to get what we would call good. Uh and that work ethic has definitely spilled over to my everyday life with my day job, uh, with how I treat relationship with friends, my partner, so on and so forth. I think yeah, all that kind of ties together.

Speaker 1 24:56

Yeah.

Speaker 24:56

Yeah. You get in what you put out, right? Absolutely.

Speaker 1 24:59

Yeah. I love to hear that.

Speaker 25:02

All right, I'm gonna roll this ball.

Speaker 1 25:04

Alright.

Speaker 25:10

I don't think it's getting around it.

Speaker 1 25:12

I think we kind of lost track of the score, but I feel like I'm getting whooped. Oh, what till you're gonna do?

Speaker 25:16

Well, I thought you don't buy by any of it.

Speaker 1 25:18

I feel like uh I feel like I'm not winning this game. Oh no. Anything you want to tell the people at home about bocce, about music, about life?

Speaker 25:38

I mean, the nice thing is you can watch bocce while listening to music, or you can play bocce while listening to music right here at Shroud Ribachi Club.

Speaker 1 25:50

Excellent. Um, well, I always have a great time hanging out with you. I can tell you your dear friend. Thanks for doing the show. Yeah, my pleasure. Until next time, enjoy bocce. Enjoy music, enjoy life. Thanks, Patrick. Thanks. All right,