So What Do You Really Do?

On this episode of the podcast, I spoke with comedian, actor, and producer Jessica Kirson. You know Jessica from The Howard Stern Show, sharing the screen with the likes of Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, and Robert De Niro, and her character videos that have garnished millions of views online. She produced the beloved and well-received feature-length documentary, FX’s Hysterical, which chronicles the blatant inequality faced by female comedians, told by the comedians fighting against it. And to prove the pandemic won’t stop her from making audiences and other comedians laugh out loud, Jessica and long-time comedy friend Rachel Feinstein are releasing a new compilation prank call album, The Call Girls on September 24th. Which the two recorded during lock-down as a way to cope with COVID, the dangers Rachel’s first responder husband faced, her newborn, and the loss of Jessica’s father. And the next best thing to listening to Jessica, is seeing her live in person. Which you can do by purchasing tickets to one of her f

On this episode of the podcast is musician, comedian, and former doorman of Hal Daddy’s, Jack Ballard. This is a very long overdue conversation. In the early 2000s, while I was still in college, I had an internet radio show, long before anyone’s computers could play streaming audio (well, it was on FM, but the signal was so weak you couldn’t pick it up in the parking lot). We kept trying to make plans to have Jack on to tell some of these stories, but alas, it never came to fruition… UNTIL NOW! Jack and I met back in the late ’90s when I was just a teenager going to the infamous Baltimore Rock Bar, Hal Daddy’s; where he worked as a doorman.He and I go through the history of Charm City’s seediest bar that any band, and almost every band, could play at. We also talk about Baltimore’s history with entertainment, Artscape, the difference between comedians and musicians, and so much more. Jack is a good friend, and I’m glad we got to catch up with each other and reminisce over old stories. And check out some of th

Wayne Federman chronicles the business of joke-telling. On this episode of the podcast, I spoke with comedian, actor, author, and stand-up historian Wayne Federman. It would be fortuitous that I would talk to Wayne about his new book. The night before I received an email from his publicist, I was watching the movie, Funny People, starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan. And the one scene, for less than a minute, Wayne pops up, and I immediately thought, “Oh hey! Wayne Federman.” It’s as if I manifested this conversation to happen in a bizarre-Beetjuice-comedy-interview kind of way. Comedian, Actor, Historian Wayne Federman Wayne is a 35 year veteran of stand-up comedy, most well known for the documentary I Am Road Comic, his Comedy Central special, and dozens of short appearances on movies and TV. In fact, so short he even dubbed his patented one scene-and-out career move, The Federman. In addition to his work as a performer, he also teaches Stand-up History and Performance at the University of Southern Californ

On this episode of the podcast I spoke with, from a safe and social distance, comedian and improviser Jacob Williams. We talked about how he became a cast member on Wild N Out, doing comedy in the age of zoom, getting over social anxiety, and more. Jacob has a new, self-produced, comedy special coming to YouTube 8PM EST on Wednesday, December 23rd. He’ll also being responding to comments live during the premiere. Be sure to check it out when you can on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, or where ever you get you get your comedy albums.

On this episode of the podcast I chatted with comedian, transcriber, and producer Kelly Zemnickis. This is a great of example of something good to come out of the pandemic. Had it not been for Coronavirus, online/virtual comedy shows and festivals, Kelly and I would have never met. We discussed politics, working on TV shows in Canada, how see feel into working as a freelance transcriber, the new documentary, No Responders Left Behind, she produced, and more. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked with musician, producer, world traveler, and friend Terrance Reeves. As you’ll hear in the podcast Terrance and I became friends when I was attending The Open Mic Jam him and Andrew Geano co-hosted together at various locations. Their mixed open mic of music, comedy, poetry, and sometimes weird shit was very important to my growth as a comedian here in New England. It was one of the few places I felt comfortable enough to experiment and try the newest of new jokes. At the beginning of 2020 Terrance and his wife, Danielle, embarked on a trip around the world, and in the middle of it the Coronavirus pandemic struck. Trapped in a foreign country, not speaking the language, they needed to figure out how to navigate their way back to American in the middle of a worldwide travel ban. If you’re a musician in search of a fresh, talented, and experienced producer consider working with Terrance. And if you’re in need of professional mental health, visit the Open Path Collective t

On this episode of the podcast I spoke with comedian and television writer Alex Edelman. We talked about his special Saturday Night Seder, which has raised over $3.5 million for charity. Also writing for a network TV show, where he was when the Covid quarantine started, antisemitism, and his new album Until Now. Which is out now everywhere you get comedy albums. It was nice catching up with Alex and to have a more than just “small talk” conversation. I enjoyed hearing about how he’s been coping with everything that has been going on. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked to comedian, actor, and owner of Salem Historical Tours Giovanni Alabiso. Gio and I talked about comedy, acting, and, of course, on set gossip. We also discussed how his company is adapting to the every changing pandemic quarantine. I love how he has created his own virtual around Salem and how they are going to change the future of his business. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I spoke with comedian and public school English teacher Kristine Blinn. I think it’s important to hear from the voices of people who are most affected by everything that’s going on during quarantine. Who has been affected more than teachers and students? This was a fun and uplifting conversation. Kristine is one of my favorite people to talk to in the New England comedy community. She’s smart, quick-witted, and effortlessly funny. Which is infuriating because she also works hard on her comedy, despite it coming so natural to her. We talked about how things were at her school at the beginning of the quarantine, how they had to adapt to distance learning, how her students are coping with the change, her experience with both live and virtual comedy shows since this started, and a lot more. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode I spoke with Jennie Stencel. In addition to being the owner of The Idiot Box Comedy Club, she is also founder of the North Carolina Comedy Festival. We talked about the potential reopening of the club and what may or may not happen in the future for her comedy festival. And if you would like to see Jennie’s rapping weather report, I have that right here for you. Enjoy. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked to comedian and law student Laura Lyons. However, before listening to the episode I feel I have to issue a trigger warning, because I don’t want to get messages of people upset about the content of this episode. On May 19th (which was my birthday), just a few days ago, I saw a very heavy post from Laura about that day being the 9 year anniversary of her suicide attempt. Laura and I have met online in some virtual comedy open mics and chat sessions over Zoom. That is where this conversation was extracted from, so sorry if the quality isn’t up to my usual standards, but it sounds good. I also think it was an important story to share. And of course if you are someone in need of help, or are thinking about suicide, please do not hesitate reaching out to a friend or to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I spoke with, from a safe distance, comedian Emily Ruskowski. In addition to being one of the funniest comedians I know, she is a licensed social worker dealing with teenagers. We talked about how the recent quarantine has affected her clients, their families, and the way she and her coworkers do their job. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked with comedian and podcaster Ken Reid about how the recent Covid-19 crisis has changed his job working in Medicaid insurance industry. We talked about how he’s coping with, not working from home, but having to help his coworkers who aren’t as qualified to, how this quarantine will  inspire creativity in comedy, how he’s keeping his podcast on track, and of course, toys. Lots of talk about toys. And podcast tech. Check out Ken‘s own podcast, TV Guidance Counselor, where he and a guest go through old edition of TV Guide together to talk about what they would’ve watched, why the loved it, and nostalgic stories and trivia about entertainment. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked with Chris Trew, who is a comedian and owner of The New Movement, a comedy club, theatre, and school in New Orleans. We discussed what his preparations were for the upcoming quarantine, how things have changed, what he’s doing to keep the theatre afloat, and his optimism for how all this will turn out in the end. Help support a performance place for comedians throughout the country by buying a Comedy No Show ticket today. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked with, from a safe distance, DMV area comedian Rob Maher. He has opened for such big names as David Koechner, Tiffany Haddish, and more. We talked about where Rob was when the quarantine started, how it has affected his career, where he thinks we’ll be after this all ends, and much more. Check out Rob’s new comedy album Comedy for the Quarantine available on iTunes, Spotify, and everywhere comedy albums can be found online and his podcast The Rob & Joe Show. Music in this episode provided by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I talked remotely with comedians Dan Martin and Andrew Mayer about how the recent Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine has affected their expected comedy album releases. Please support comedians during this maddening time by listening to both Dan and Andrew’s albums. And, lastly, times are tough for everyone right now, but if you are one of the more fortunate ones, consider donating a small bit to the New England Comedy Sunshine Fund. It is a emergency relief fund for comedians ran by comedians to help those in need. Thank you for listening, leaving a comment, and sharing with a friend. Stay safe and healthy everyone. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

Humor, music, and why Andy Borowitz is the absolute worst, with the creators of punk’s satirical savior This week on the podcast I spoke with founders of The Hard Times website, a punk-rock satirical comedy site. Not a day goes by in which one of my musician friends don’t post a Hard Times article, or […]

The NY Comedian’s Crush on Boston On this episode of the podcast I spoke with comedian Paul Virzi. He’ll be performing at Laugh Boston June 27th – 29th. This interview was setup in conjunction with DigBoston. This is a follow up interview with Paul. 2 years ago local comedian Tommy O’Deeds interviewed Paul for Dig, and they asked if I wanted to talk with him this time around. We talked about his kids, sports, being a comedian and a father, and much more. Paul also told me about why he loves coming to Boston and why it means so much to him. You can read my Q&A with Paul by picking up a print copy of DigBoston on newsstand throughout the Boston area right NOW! or read it online here. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

Diversity in SciFi This episode of the podcast was recorded live at Orleans Restaurant in Davis Square as part of the 44th Annual Boston SciFi Film Festival. This panel was called PEELING THE COVER: Diversity in Science Fiction and featured filmmaker Paul J. Salamoff (Encounter), director Izzy Lee (My Monster), voice actor Pat Bordenave (The Geek Down Podcast), pop-culturist Meghann Ackermann, and community activist Andre Green.

Industry Tricks of the Trade This episode of the podcast was recorded live at Orleans Restaurant in Davis Square as part of the 44th Annual Boston SciFi Film Festival. This panel is called Inside Dope: Industry Tricks of the Trade and featured documentary filmmakersKelley Slagle & Brian Stillman (Eye of the Beholder: The Art of D&D), actress & producer Taryn O’Neil (Live), writer & director John Burr (Muse), and director Marco DeLuca (Beneath the Trees).