Medley Review: Tedeschi Trucks Band - “You Can Make it if You Try” -> “Everyday People” (Stern)
Howard Stern was so blown away, he asked Tedeschi Trucks Band if they could do Sly & the Family Stone a cappella. Indeed we can, was the response and Susan Tedeschi, Mark Rivers, Mike Mattison, Alecia Chakour and Gabe Dixon sung sans accompaniment:
I-I-I-I am everyday people
It was March 24 in “the Howard Stern Show” studios and the members of TTB were showing off their love and respect for the Family Stone with “You Can Make it if You Try” -> “Everyday People.” This was an ideal mix of sonic tracing and aural freehand, the kind of performance that simultaneously sounded like Tedeschi Trucks Band and could just as easily pass as a Stone tribute act.
“That’s (Sly & the Family Stone) kind of the prototype for a band like this,” Derek Trucks had said in introducing the medley. “We’re one of the few bands to have all the pieces to do it, which is quite fun.”
Tedeschi’s female leads fit perfectly in Stone’s place. The TTB horns recreated and expanded upon the FS brass arrangements. Trucks’ guitar was … Trucks’ guitar. The result was what a slack-jawed Stern termed “one of the greatest performances ever done on this show.
“I mean, that is fantastic. What a band. What the hell are you guys on?”
Grade card: Tedeschi Trucks Band - “You Can Make it if You Try” -> “Everyday People” (Stern) - A+
Matt Damon on Ben Affleck coming to his rescue during a fight
From The Howard Stern Show (12 January 2026)
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To celebrate what is likely the 39th anniversary of Ben saving Matt from getting his ass kicked (and thus finally earning ride-or-die BFF status), here is, to the best of my knowledge, Matt and Ben's first time telling this story together in public.
[Full transcript under the cut.]
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STERN: Is it true that— Ben, you were what, about a year and a half older than Matt or so?
BEN: Younger. I'm younger than him, yeah. Now I like it! When we were younger, I was really pissed. Now I like to remind people.
STERN: But wasn't there some— Matt, I think you were getting into a fight with someone at school, and Ben came over and beat the shit out of the guy?
MATT: No, it was a snow day, so we would all go to Cambridge Commons and play tackle football. Everyone would just meet up there. It wasn't even that organized. I mean, however many people showed up, it could be like 20 on 20. And I had run back a kickoff and there was this kid — [to Ben] I shouldn't call out his name.
BEN: I wouldn't say his name. He was a lot bigger than Matt and he didn't like that Matt had—
MATT: He was 6'6''! He was 6'6''—
STERN: Is his name The Rock?
MATT: No, god, that would have been a problem!
BEN: If his name was The Rock, I would have let Matt get his ass kicked! You're on your own, prick!
MAT: But Ben was like 14! And we were probably each 5'2'' at the time. And I mouthed off to Justin, cuz I had kind of juked him. And I don't know what was going on in this kid's life, but he just piled drove me into the ground. And suddenly I was on my back, and I was like, "This is gonna be terrible!" And then out of nowhere, little Benny Affleck [Ben snorts], all 5'2'', just fucking came like Ray Lewis and just tackled this guy!
BEN: Because it was gonna need to be two of us to fight him, because he was twice as big.
STERN: He came in like Batman, you could say!
MATT: He came in like Batman. He really did, and tackled Justi— this kid off me. And then it got all broken up, and everybody was like, "This is fine—
BEN: It was a school or a place where that happened. That wasn't like an uncommon thing. You know, it was sort of kids getting into fights. There were all kinds of—
MATT: Me getting my ass kicked wasn't that uncommon!
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