So What Do You Really Do?

This week on the podcast I sat down with comedy teacher and fellow comedian Dana Jay Bein. We talk about stand up comedy, improv, the early days of ImprovBoston, starting his career as a comedy teacher, where he’s at with it now, hottubbing, and much more. You can also read the shortened version of the interview that I wrote up for DigBoston by clicking here. (They come up with such better titles than I do *sigh*) Also, if you liked what you heard/read today check out Dana’s special Western Masochist or see him every night in November as Comic In Residence at The Comedy Studio. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys. Featured image by Chris Faraone.

This episode of the podcast I had a quick chat with comedian Joel Kim Booster. He will be headlining Laugh Boston June 21st – 23rd. For tickets and more info go to: https://www.laughboston.com/event/1596520-joel-kim-booster-boston/ We talked about working out, gym stories, doing stand up comedy at festivals, and more. This interview was for DigBoston newspaper, which you can pick up a print copy at newsstand today or read it online (hit that like button if you do, thanks!) This over the phone interview is our full, unedited conversation. I’ll be performing in the play All the Great Books (Abridged) Saturday, June 23rd at the Regent Underground Theatre in Arlington and on Monday, June 25th will be doing stand up comedy at Capo Restaurant in South Boston. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester

A Day In the Life of a Mom, Writer, and Orphan Author Laurie Kilmartin Today on the podcast I talked to comedian and late night talk show monologist Laurie Kilmartin. Laurie is headlining Laugh Boston May 31st – June 2nd. The conversation was for an article for DigBoston newspaper, which you can read online or pick up at newsstands near you in the Boston area. The podcast is a the unedited, full conversation with Laurie. Who by the way, was super nice and I think informative on the world into writing for late night TV shows. She also has a new book out called Dead People Suck which you can pick up at bookstores or online. If you’ve ever had to deal with the loss of a parent you’ll find the book both comforting and hysterical. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

Since I haven’t uploaded an interview in a very long time (I’m working on the new home studio, so I’ll be back soon), I figured in the meantime let’s take a departure from the norm and upload this Roast Battle my friend Justin P. Drew hosted. This was the one year anniversary of his open mic at The Blarney Stone in Dorchester. Afterwards we had cake and beer. I almost didn’t want to upload this because I did a disappointingly bad job against my opponent. I had 6 pages of jokes against everyone else but her. I couldn’t do it. Shame. Anyway, enjoy a bunch of nobody comedians making fun of each other. The song “Sunsets & Car Wrecks” in this episode provided by my good friends in the band Scott Lester & What Army.

On this episode of the podcast I sat down and talked with filmmaker Dianne Carroll about her time in the military as a counterintelligence agent, interrogations, veteran benefits, mental health, and making movies. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

This week on the podcast I sat down with Baltimore comedians Josh Kuderna and Umar Khan at their home in Hampden just blocks from where the Charm City Comedy Festival was happening. Josh and I ran into each other my night of the festival outside of Golden West Cafe. Had a real quick ‘HEY WHAT’S UP?! Oh, while I’m in town, let’s do a podcast tomorrow! YES!” We talked about first and foremost, what a budget analyst does (I don’t think any of else still know what he does after the podcast), how Umar became a psychologist, Baltimore comedy, writing punchup for commercials, being made fun of by black kids, terrible office interactions, and how their very real adult jobs affect their comedy careers. Check out Josh’s podcast Digression Sessions. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

On this episode of the podcast I sat down and talked barbering and comedy with New York comedian and Average Black Man Kenny Warren from Comics Cutting Comics. Kenny is a comedian that has been cutting hair for 30 years. In addition to that Kenny is also a comedian and a father, which we discuss the hoops that need to be jumped through to in life and, of course, men’s grooming too. This is an older interview that didn’t make it out before all the tech glitches and problems, sorry for the delay on it, but once you hear Kenny’s story, I think you’ll agree it’s interesting enough to be worth the wait. – YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

This week on the podcast I quickly sat down with Tom and Kerri Louise Cotter to talk about parenting while doing comedy. Tom and Kerri are both from New England and on Last Comic Standing season 2. Since they met they moved to New York to pursue their respective comedy careers, got married, had 3 boys (2 of which are twins), and had a reality show. We talk about scheduling, touring, dragging kids around on the road together, sharing responsibilities between themselves and the people in their lives that help them out. It was fascinating listen to two people, who clearly love each other, talk about how they struggle to be both good comedians and good parents. See them live at a comedy club near you and pick up their books Bad Dad: A Guide to Pitiful Parenting and Mean Mommy. Thanks for listening, rating the podcast, and subscribing. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

This week on the podcast I sat down and spoke with former political campaign activist, former sex worker, and comedian Kaytlin Bailey. She was in Boston for the Women in Comedy Festival and to kick off the Cake Comedy Tour. We talked about having to stay in an AirBnB with the fear of bedbugs, putting together a comedy tour, being a political activist, and Kaytlin’s time as a teenage and adult prostitute. Find more about Kaytlin’s story with her father, her one woman show, and the sex worker industry. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

This week on the podcast is good friend from Baltimore, now living in New York City, writer and comedian Ben Rosen. Ben and I met before I started doing comedy through mutual friends, one a comedian, one who wasn’t. We instantly got a long. We didn’t really keep in touch other than over Twitter and Facebook, so when I started to do standup, I messaged him asking if he wanted to hit an open mic with me, to which he replied, “are you in New York? Because that’s where I live now.” Ben moved there years ago to pursue comedy and eventually, became a writer for Buzzfeed and a advertising data analysis for Twitter. In the podcast we get into those jobs, comedy, New York comedy, how internet advertising works, his upcoming marriage, and more. In addition to comedy Ben also writes the weekly Ravens Funny Pages column for the Baltimore Raven’s Fan Page. Music in this episode by my good friends Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

Today on the podcast Videographer and musician Mike Rickshaw of the band Mickey Rickshaw. I met Mike at an open mic in Jamaica Plain about 8 or 9 months ago, and we finally now were able to get together for this podcast. I was hoping some members of the band were going to show up, so we could get a live acoustic performance in the home studio, but that didn’t happen. Which with musicians is not surprising. They (and that includes me) are an unreliable bunch at times. When I met Mike he was a videographer for furniture company Wayfair, but has since gone out on his own freelancing. We’ll talk more about that, being a musician and touring, his path into making videos, living in Italy and learning Italian, and a lot more. After the podcast is the brand new song Nonprofit Warfare from the band. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

My guest on the podcast are the amazingly talented musicians Nancy Hornburg and Sue Werner of the band War on Woman. Nancy is actually a very old friend of mine from my earlier days in music and radio. Sue is the bass player in the band, and basically lives the life that is the epitome of this podcast. By day she’s a data analyst for John Hopkins Hospital and by night plays bass in a feminist hardcore band and a Gin Blossoms cover band (yes, those two things are the exact opposite of each other, and I love it). Stick around because after the podcast is the band’s song “Say It”. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

Continuing with music month all July is my good friend and drummer Chris Eller. Chris was in Boston on tour as the drummer for CJ Ramone, which he explains the unusual method he used to get into the band, we talk about old hot spots we used to play at in Baltimore, his job working for a moving company, and life as a musician on tour. If you enjoyed this episode go see Chris when his other band The Huntington’s come to New England on tour Sept. 17th at Koto in Salem and Sept. 18th at Firehouse 13 in Providence, RI. I’m going to be at the show in Salem, hopefully I’ll see some podcast listeners there. Thanks for listening, subscribing, and leaving a review of the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester & The Dirty Dottys.

This episode of the podcast I got to get out of the studio and onto a boat with The Dirty Dottys. A Boston based Jazz, ska, swing, rock, pop, band. The group is comprised of four music teachers, a scientist, and a musical therapist. This was a fun podcast listening to how each of them are different types of music teachers, finding out what music therapy is, how it helps different types of injuries and rehabilitation, and of course hearing about the SCIENCE stuff that Austin does every day at work. After the podcast is a track from their first self-titled CD, Plight of a First World 20-Something, which is available now on iTunes, Bandcamp, and everywhere else you would buy music. Throughout the summer they are doing these Boston Harbor music cruises every Thursday, so if you’re in the New England area checkout one of the cruises. It’s a fun early evening show with free beer! After months of attempting to schedule a sit down together, I’m glad we finally were able to get together and learn more about what it is

This is a special bonus swapcast episode with fellow podcaster Steven Richard K from Search for a Cohost podcast and sketch group Mister Bismuth. We don’t actually get into Steven’s day job because he keeps that separate from his comedy life, which is foreign and weird to me. We talk about that, when and how he got into sketch comedy and how he met up with the fellow Mister Bismuth sketch group. Which, by the way, is one of the best sketch comedy groups in all of Boston if you ask me. They’re weird, absurd, dark, and totally hilarious. Check them out sometime if you can. We also did an episode of his podcast in this. So, you get double the podcasts!!! If you want, you can go listen to his mini-episode (mini compared to my absurdly long podcasts) then come back here and listen for the differences in editing. Which is basically no editing. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester.

Ending radio month on the podcast is my good friend Jackson Blue. Jackson and I used to work together in Baltimore at a different station, he left for Boston, and after a few years helped me get my job up here. This was one of my favorite podcasts because we really get into the passion that radio is to both of our careers. We also discuss how being a parent affects his job and vice versa. I’m really glad to have Jackson talk about this openly because, even though I’m not a parent, it’s something that worries me every day. Worried about it ruining my career, worried I won’t like my child or I’ll feel resentment towards him. Spoiler alert: He doesn’t have those feelings, but he acknowledges that it’s possibility in other people. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester. The 1st Who Cares?! Report w/ Deadair Dennis on The Jackson Blue Show. 07/20/10

My guest on the podcast this week is reporter, writer, and musician David Tanklefsky. Continuing with radio month (even though it’s now July), Davis is a fellow radio coworker. He and I work together, he as the traffic reporter, me as the producer. He is currently on TV as the in-house morning traffic reporter for local cable television station NECN/New England Cable News as their in-house morning news traffic reporter. In this episode we talk about the difference between television news and radio, getting his start after college by doing minor league baseball play-by-play coverage, his transition into writing, and his music career both solo and with the band The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow. At the end of the podcast is his song Fools from WTR. Thanks for listening, subscribing, and please leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester & The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow.

Continuing with radio month here on the podcast my guest this week is good friend Scott Lester. He is both the producer for syndicated radio shows The Kane Morning Show and Club Kane and a musician. We talk about his career in radio, music, how he got started in both, the progression so far, and what the future might hold for both jobs. And we mention little bit about his dog and how adorable he is. Not is Scott a friend and former coworker he is also the person who wrote the music on this podcast. At the end of the podcast is his song Sunsets & Car Wrecks from his solo band Scott Lester & What Army which you can checkout on Soundcloud, as well as his other band Letterbox. Thanks for listening, subscribing, and please leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Radio month will continue on the podcast next week. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester. (aka this episode’s guest)

Thank you so much for downloading and listening to this week’s episode. This is kicking off a month of all radio people guests. All friends who work in the business of radio informing and entertaining people every day. My first guest is Joanna/Josie/Jo, however you know her from TMZ, WHFS & MIX 106.5 in Baltimore, from radio in Hanover, PA or just from being a fun awesome person at a concert or bar near you. I’m so glad that I could get Jo on the podcast to catch with her and to get her to do her first ever podcast. If you want to hear deep inner workings of radio conversation, that isn’t held back one bit, then you’re in for a treat because this is the podcast episode (and month) for you. Be sure to follow Josie on twitter using the hashtag #WheresJo? Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester. (aka next week’s guest)

This week on the podcast I sat down and talked about proposal writing, winning comedy competitions, and starting out working the road with comedian Al Park. Music in this episode by my good friend Scott Lester. (And more music to come on future episodes of the podcast. So, stay tuned for that.)