Who this episode is for:
- Musicians living gig to gig, paycheck to bar tab
- Anyone who ever tried to quit drinking with “just a few more beers”
- People who’ve played on stage… and people who’ve blacked out in the crowd
- Friends who’ve called in a wellness check and hoped to God it worked
- Anyone who’s ever made a mess of their life and thought, “F***, I can’t keep doing this”

Episode 13: 4-3-2-1 — The Day I Chose Not to Die

Pondoff sits down with Dillon Dunnagan—frontman of The Winks and a dude who played on stage with Green Day at Riverport. Behind the badass moments? Booze, blow, heartbreak, and a third-story balcony. This one’s raw, dark, hilarious, and brutally honest. From the “Piss Palace” to a psych ward, Dillon shares how a wellness check—and saying yes to help—changed everything.

🧨 Breakdown – Chaos by the Minute

• 1:25 – Irish genes and early gigs
• 10:16 – Playing on stage with Green Day — watch it
• 20:48 – Booze + band life = unraveling
• 33:48 – Fire pits, cops, and “strippers are here!”
• 50:55 – The balcony moment that changed it all
• 1:06:10 – The last drink and the day he chose life
• 1:17:04 – Playing sober—and getting laid again
• 1:45:16 – The Winks and writing through recovery
• 1:56:45 – Episode closes with raw, poetic lyrics

🎸 Featured Links

• Green Day moment: https://youtu.be/YwGPboK3OEE
• The Winks: https://linktr.ee/thewinks
• Pop Disaster Tribute – June 28: https://www.ninemilegarden.com

💥 Sponsored by:

• Illinois Recovery Center: https://illinoisrecoverycenter.com
• Bertarelli Cutlery: https://bertarellico.com

Like what you heard?
Subscribe, rate, and share it with the friend who needs to hear it. This one’s for the fighters and the f***ups still trying.