Episode 259 – New Year, Same Us (But With Bigger Pants)
It’s the first episode of 2026, and the boys are back… slightly rounder, slightly wiser, and wildly unprepared for athletic endeavors.
Tony’s coming off a long break and mentally bracing himself to return to work, while Mike reflects on his wholesome (and surprisingly heroic) holiday tradition—inviting people over for Christmas and offering rides to anyone stranded on New Year’s Eve. Basically, Mike might be an actual angel.
We cover moving horror stories and make one thing crystal clear:
👉We are officially too old to move our friends.
Hire someone. Prepare. Stretch. Don’t call us. Actually... maybe you can call Mike.
New Year’s resolutions are on the table:
• Tony’s been cooking and baking… unfortunately, in a way that screams future diabetes and heart disease, so he’s pivoting to a healthier lane.
• Mike’s getting organized and diving into a serious body recomp.
• Both of us admit the holidays hit hard. Time to clean it up.
From there, things get weird (as usual):
We unpack the absurd ideas we blindly inherit from our parents, dive into real crime stories (why is it always the quiet close ones?!), and marvel at how some people commit elaborate crimes… then Google “how to get rid of a body” like absolute amateurs.
Also in this episode:
• Mike takes a ChatGPT master class 🤯
• Wild Olympic sports that almost made it
• Fast walkers apparently live longer (Tony expected to live forever—smoke coming off those sneakers)
• And the surprisingly beautiful fact that choir singers’ heartbeats synchronize when they sing together
New year. Same chaos. Let’s go.
Cheers!
m&t
Episode 259 – New Year, Same Us (But With Bigger Pants)
It’s the first episode of 2026, and the boys are back… slightly rounder, slightly wiser, and wildly unprepared for athletic endeavors.
Tony’s coming off a long break and mentally bracing himself to return to work, while Mike reflects on his wholesome (and surprisingly heroic) holiday tradition—inviting people over for Christmas and offering rides to anyone stranded on New Year’s Eve. Basically, Mike might be an actual angel.
We cover moving horror stories and make one thing crystal clear:
👉We are officially too old to move our friends.
Hire someone. Prepare. Stretch. Don’t call us. Actually... maybe you can call Mike.
New Year’s resolutions are on the table:
• Tony’s been cooking and baking… unfortunately, in a way that screams future diabetes and heart disease, so he’s pivoting to a healthier lane.
• Mike’s getting organized and diving into a serious body recomp.
• Both of us admit the holidays hit hard. Time to clean it up.
From there, things get weird (as usual):
We unpack the absurd ideas we blindly inherit from our parents, dive into real crime stories (why is it always the quiet close ones?!), and marvel at how some people commit elaborate crimes… then Google “how to get rid of a body” like absolute amateurs.
Also in this episode:
• Mike takes a ChatGPT master class 🤯
• Wild Olympic sports that almost made it
• Fast walkers apparently live longer (Tony expected to live forever—smoke coming off those sneakers)
• And the surprisingly beautiful fact that choir singers’ heartbeats synchronize when they sing together
New year. Same chaos. Let’s go.
Cheers!
m&t
Episode 257: Painting Big, Thinking Bigger with Amanda Danae Hilsabeck
This week on The Mike & Tony Show, we welcome Amanda Danae Hilsabeck — muralist, marketing advisor, and creative force behind Mighty Fine Artistry — who somehow also proves (once again) that Mike knows everyone and will randomly run into them in places that make no sense.
Amanda takes us through her journey from jaw-dropping, hyper-realistic pet portraits (seriously… they’re unfairly good) to large-scale murals and what she calls “mural activation” — where art meets branding and businesses actually learn how to use their murals instead of just… having them. From a massive American flag mural in a gym to an emotional family portrait of people who’d never all been together at once, her work is both impressive and meaningful.
She also brought her hetero lifemate Aubrey, who is quietly hilarious and jumps into the mix as we spiral into conversations about perfectionism (Tony feels very seen), why unfinished art and songs haunt your soul, and why Victor, Colorado suddenly sounds like somewhere we all need to move immediately.
Elsewhere in this episode:
Mike ties (and wears) his first-ever bow tie thanks to YouTube
We talk gyms, workouts, and health-tracking devices judging us silently
Sports talk hits all the majors: football, basketball, baseball
Chipotle and Starbucks are both adding protein menus… which raises questions
We debate whether the 1970s might be the greatest music decade ever (yes, Karen Carpenter enters the chat)
And we wrap it all up with our Top Five Christmas Songs, because why not?
Art, marketing, music, murals, muscle, and mild chaos — this one’s got range.
👉 Follow Amanda: @mightyfineartistry
🎨 Mighty Fine Artistry
🎙️ You know the deal — hit play.
Cheers!
m&t
Episode 257: Painting Big, Thinking Bigger with Amanda Danae Hilsabeck
This week on The Mike & Tony Show, we welcome Amanda Danae Hilsabeck — muralist, marketing advisor, and creative force behind Mighty Fine Artistry — who somehow also proves (once again) that Mike knows everyone and will randomly run into them in places that make no sense.
Amanda takes us through her journey from jaw-dropping, hyper-realistic pet portraits (seriously… they’re unfairly good) to large-scale murals and what she calls “mural activation” — where art meets branding and businesses actually learn how to use their murals instead of just… having them. From a massive American flag mural in a gym to an emotional family portrait of people who’d never all been together at once, her work is both impressive and meaningful.
She also brought her hetero lifemate Aubrey, who is quietly hilarious and jumps into the mix as we spiral into conversations about perfectionism (Tony feels very seen), why unfinished art and songs haunt your soul, and why Victor, Colorado suddenly sounds like somewhere we all need to move immediately.
Elsewhere in this episode:
Mike ties (and wears) his first-ever bow tie thanks to YouTube
We talk gyms, workouts, and health-tracking devices judging us silently
Sports talk hits all the majors: football, basketball, baseball
Chipotle and Starbucks are both adding protein menus… which raises questions
We debate whether the 1970s might be the greatest music decade ever (yes, Karen Carpenter enters the chat)
And we wrap it all up with our Top Five Christmas Songs, because why not?
Art, marketing, music, murals, muscle, and mild chaos — this one’s got range.
👉 Follow Amanda: @mightyfineartistry
🎨 Mighty Fine Artistry
🎙️ You know the deal — hit play.
Cheers!
m&t