DJ: Let's welcome in Chris Kirkpatrick! What's up, Chris?

Chris: Hey, what's up?

DJ: First and foremost, let's get this out of the way. Tonight Chris is hosting the Miss Teen USA pageant on CBS with the lovely and talented Willa Ford, who we talked to last week. And it's gotta be a little bit rough going up against American Idol tonight, though, huh?

Chris: You know what, we just -- when we were running through the run-through yesterday, we were talking about it and everybody was like, "Yeah, you know, this is going up against American Idol" and I'm like, "oh, great."

DJ: Yeah,right.

Chris: Luckily for us, we're on for two hours, so the swimsuit competition and stuff, I think, is in the second hour, so people can still flick over.

DJ: Sweet. And you know what? Also, everybody can watch the first, like, 45 minutes of what you guys are doing on your deal because, I mean, it's the results show for American Idol. You don't really need to know anything until the end, anyhow.

Chris: Right, right, right. Or they can read it in the paper, big deal, you know? Come on.

DJ: Yeah, whatever. Sure.

Chris: What's the big deal?

DJ: We'll tell them about it tomorrow. You know, whatever. Hey, do you mind if I invite our listeners, if they wanna get on and ask you a question or something? Do you mind if I do that?

Chris: Yeah, that's cool.

DJ: So you can call 733-5100, that's for everybody in the 503. Or triple 8, 483-0100, wherever you can hear it. If you got a question for Chris and you're not just gonna be, you know, a drooling moron, we'll put you --

Chris: Like me.

DJ: Like we're gonna sit here all morning long and have people go, "Ahhh, Chris, sync, ahah. I love you!" Like you don't get that enough.

Chris: [laughs]

DJ: I promised everybody I would ask -- I gotta admit, you were pretty funny at the Teen Choice Awards, but just exactly how baked were you when you were doing that skit?

Chris: I know, right? They made us all -- we kept, like -- we kept seeing these, like, these, uh, we looked over the, uh, uh, what do you call it?

DJ: The script or whatever?

Chris: And everybody had these outrageously dumb things to say. And so we did this and I'm like, "Oh, my God, this is great."

DJ: Yeah, "Why do I --" You're probably thinking, "Why do I have to be the guy that has the freaking metal detector?"

Chris: Yeah, I didn't think that would really help further my career, but we tried.

DJ: Yeah, "Why do I always have to -- why do I always have to be the loopy one?"

Chris: Yeah, well, that's what they give me. That's my job, I guess.

DJ: It's all good.

Chris: I'm the rebel. I'm the crazy one.

DJ: Oh, sure.

Chris: I'm the nice one, I'm the cute one, you know.

DJ: Yeah, they always want to put you into some sort of a role that you have to play. Are they making you tone down the hair for the pageant tonight?

Chris: You know what, I thought they would, but they didn't.

DJ: Nice.

Chris: So it's been really cool, you know. I was, I was a little bit nervous. Like, they're like, made such a big deal about it at first and then they're like, "You know what, never mind."

DJ: Are you in a tux?

Chris: Uh, no. Heck no.

DJ: I didn't think so. I was just, in my mind, I'm getting a visual, going, "I just can't see this. This just doesn't seem right."

Chris: Yeah. It just won't happen.

DJ: When we talked to Willa last week, she seemed really cool. You guys having a good time working together?

Chris: She's awesome. She is really amazing. She, uh, she keeps me going in this. I mean, you know, she's had so much experience as an interviewier and doing, like, hosting type jobs that she's just been like, "Look, this is what you need to do, this is how you should do this." I mean, she's been amazing and helping me out, like, you know, just, if it wasn't for her, I don't know what the heck I'd be doing.

DJ: I'm glad you mentioned that, because I was gonna ask you, have you ever done anything like this before?

Chris: Um, you know, I've done one or two little things, but nothing like this major. I just didn't want to screw it up.

DJ: It's a tough gig, isn't it?

Chris: It's really tough. Like, I don't think you realize, like, what goes into it until you actually do it.

DJ: Oh, yeah. And, I mean, you've gotta hit this time, you know, because you're doing it for TV, so you've gotta make sure everything happens in the right order and you've gotta, you know, make sure you hit this mark here and introduce this girl. You know, and people get so, they get so anal about it.

Chris: Oh, yeah, live TV's pretty crazy. Luckily, we've got a great stage manager, this guy Kenny, who we've worked with before, and he's amazing. And, you know, he walks us through everything, he sets our marks, tells us what we gotta, you know, where we gotta be, what we gotta say. But, you know, the crazy thing about live TV is, when it gets towards the end, you know, if we're running over or under, he's gonna be, like, a lot of stuff'll have to be rushed or slowed down or we'll have to milk for time, or. I'm looking to Willa for that.

DJ: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Let her handle that stuff. You just, you know, go over and be, you know, funny with the girls or whatever.

Chris: Exactly.

DJ: You just go ahead and kill some time that way and let her handle the nuts and bolts and worry about that stuff. Have you seen, have you been hanging with Justin at all, while he's getting ready for the MTV awards?

Chris: Yeah, you know, I've been out with him a bit. I actually, I've been lucky enough that when he went on his recording trip to, you know, record the album, I was on a writing trip, you know, just kind of going up around America, and we kept bumping into each other in different cities. And I'd sit in on his sessions, and it's amazing. I mean, the album is unbelievable, and, you know, he's been rehearsing out in LA a bit for the awards show. And I know he's nervous. So, you know, we've all been trying to keep in touch with him and let him know that there's no reason to be nervous. He's out there by himself, but, you know, he's gonna be great.

DJ: Yeah, he's Studboy, he's done this before.

Chris: He doesn't have us behind him this time.

DJ: Or in front of him or beside him or, you know, any of that other stuff. Have you seen Joey's play? I don't mean to be asking about all the other guys, I just wanna do a quick hit.

Chris: No, no, actually, I haven't made it up there yet because I've had so many other commitments that I've wanted to do, but we're going up to New York, you know, tomorrow for the VMAs. A bunch of the guys are going tonight to see him in the debut, but I, you know, I'm doing the pageant, so I have to go up, like, Friday or Saturday.

DJ: Right, because you're in Atlantic City for this deal, right? For your deal? Where's the pageant at?

Chris: No, the pageant's in South Padre, Texas.

DJ: Oh, no kidding? I was thinking for some reason you were in Atlantic City so it'd just be a quick jump. You've got some traveling to do now.

Chris: Yeah, it'd be some driving, if it were just, if I were in a bus.

DJ: Yeah, right.

Chris: Yeah, we're gonna hop a plane tonight after the show and, you know, get up there for the VMAs tomorrow.

DJ: Wow, wow. Do you think Lance is actually ever gonna get to go to space?

Chris: You know, I hope so. I mean, this is something he's really wanted. And, you know, I don't know what the big, you know, fiasco is with the -- with all the money or whatever that needs to be done. But he's been working really hard at this, you know, so he really deserves to get out there.

DJ: You know what, we have to ask one more question, and you had to know it was coming. Go ahead, Tanner, the world's biggest Eminem fan.

Tanner: I know that a million other radio stupid DJs have asked you this question, but why does he want to kick your ass?

Chris: Um, I think my last name just rhymed with 'get your ass kicked,' which is great for me because now that's my new, you know thing. All my buddies -- I listen to Eminem, all my friends and I all listen to Eminem, we love Eminem. And it's great that they now walk over to my house, "Hey, Chris Kirkpatrick, you could get your ass kicked."

DJ: Yeah, whatever.

Tanner: Do you think you could take him?

DJ: How about, "If you say that again, I'll kick your ass. Shut up!"

Chris: Well, you know, it's always funny because, you know, we go out clubbing a lot, we go to parties, and every time that song comes on, it's like the whole club comes to me.

DJ: Yeah, right.

Chris: And, like, waits, like I'm gonna go up to the DJ, "Hey, could you mute that one part? I'm really kind of, like, upset about that."

DJ: "I'm sensitive about Eminem. Please don't play that part."

Chris: Yeah, well, he's, he's talked about *NSYNC forever. I think it's just, it's just a continuation, and I listen to the whole record and I think there's me and Moby and there's, like, one other -- on the whole album, that he talks about. And as controversial as he is, you know, that's kind of a compliment. I'm like, well, I've bought the album, I've got the album credits, it says my name right there -- well, not the credits, you know, where he writes the songs. You know, I've got that set up in my, in my house. I'm like, "Check that out," you know? Yeah, I'm gonna get my ass kicked, but I'm in a song.

DJ: Yeah, whatever. I've said this all along.

Chris: Wait til he hears the Eminem love ballad I come out with.

DJ: You know what, and I've said this all along, too, man, they can be talking about anybody, but if they're hating on you, you must be doing something right.

Chris: Gotta be doing something right. You know, we're happy, we're having a great time. And, you know, like I said, it's a great form of flattery and I love, it's like one of my favorite tracks.

DJ: And if you were just a punk, they wouldn't be talking about you.

Chris: All I gotta do now is get, get some of the other tracks on there and, you know, get my name on there, I won't even have to record anymore.

DJ: There you go. There you go. I want to cram a couple of phone calls in because I know you gotta go. Um, Jessica, what's up, you're on with the all new z100 and Chris Kirkpatrick.

Me: Hey, Chris, I was just wondering what's in your CD player right now?

Chris: Um, in my CD player right now, I actually have this group called Good Charlotte.

DJ: Yeah.

Me: Yeah!

Chris: You know Good Charlotte?

DJ: I love them.

Me: Yeah, I saw you in the video, too.

Chris: Yeah, yeah, they're amazing guys. They gave me a pre-copy of the album and it's so good, I mean, it's such great, that new punk-pop, you know, stuff that's coming out.

Me: Mm-hmm.

Chris: It's so amazing. And then I've also got Jimmy Eat World.

Me: That's awesome.

DJ: Yeah, that is cool.

Me: Very cool.

DJ: Yeah, thank you, Jessica.

Me: Thanks, bye.

[Editor's note: Whilst on the phone, he actually did say, "bye, Jessica," but it's not on the tape. I don't, I'm perplexed, but he said it, yo.]

DJ: All right, then, it's the all-new z100, you're on with Chris Kirkpatrick. Who's this?

Caller: Claire.

DJ: Hey, so what's your question?

Claire: Um, I just wanted to know, Chris, did you always want to sing, or did you have other childhood ambitions?

Chris: Well, I've always been singing, as long as I can remember, and it's funny the way I just keep falling back into music. And it wasn't really until I was in college and I kept, music started actually paying my college tuition, that I realized maybe that's what I loved to do, and that's what I kept doing. So, you know, I'm one of the very few blessed ones that gets to write on a resume, my occupation as a musician.

Claire: Yeah.

DJ: That's pretty cool.

Claire: So what are you doing now?

Chris: Uh, writing. We're doing a lot of writing, and, you know, I've been doing a lot of running around, doing some charity events, and you know, things here and there. Trying to keep a little bit busy while we're taking a break.

DJ: Yeah, we talked about this, it's really cool that you guys have lives outside the band. You know? Real, actual, honest-to-God lives.

Chris: We've all been doing, you know, our own stuff. JC and I, you know, do a lot of writing, we've been, I've been kind of setting my house up, I've kind of got almost a live giggin' area to where a couple of my buddies come over, we get the guitars, we get a drummer, and we, you know, we just jam, and what comes out comes out. And it works out great, because I can still be music. You know, I can still write, still do my thing.

DJ: That's very, very cool. I know we've got to let you go, but Stephanie's been dying to talk to you. What's up, Steph? Stephanie?

Stephanie: Yeah?

DJ: You're on.

Stephanie: I was just wondering if maybe he'd want to sing a song with Eminem?

Chris: We're talking about it. You know, he's been calling my people and my people have not been returning his calls.

DJ: Of course not. That's great, man.

Chris: No, I don't think Eminem would even want to go to a bar with us because he might think he might get a picture taken or something like that.

DJ: Oh, yeah, and that'd be the end of him. There goes the street cred. Have you ever bumped into him before?

Chris: We bumped into him in Cancun when we did the MTV Spring Break about, you know, when he first came out. It was like, he just released My Name Is, and you know, he was sitting there and we all wanted to go up and say hi to him because we loved the song but we didn't know what to say. And, you know, the next thing you know, he blows up and you know, he's great and we're trash and we're in every song he writes.

DJ: That's awesome. One more thing. Is there any chance at all that we've seen the last of *NSYNC? That you guys are just, you know, after awhile, gonna look around and go, "Well, jeez, this is kind of nice, doing our own thing?"

Chris: Well, yeah, you know, we talked about breaking up and it's right there on the forefront and it's probably gonna happen within the -- no. No, you know, we're five best friends, we support each other in everything that we do, and this is just a chance for us to all go out and branch off.

DJ: Cool.

Chris: As long as we always know that *NSYNC's there and it's the big picture, then we'll always be a group and, you know, who knows, maybe there'll be a couple more solo records come out of the rest of us, and you know, we'll have our own individual stuff, but we'll always come back and be *NSYNC.

DJ: You know, it's really funny, though, you should've seen all the 'holy S' looks on all our faces around the stupid. We're going, "Oh, my god, you're F-ing kidding me."

Chris: Yeah.

DJ: And, you know, I will say this, Tanner's kind of more of a rap/alternative guy, I have a big taste in music, Nicole likes a lot of stuff, too, but we all are unanimous in our agreement that truly, *NSYNC puts on the best show any of us have ever seen.

Chris: Oh, thank you very much.


And then there's a little more, the DJ fawning over Chris, but. Man, I'm tired. Transcript out.