1000 w/ Ron Placone

Matt Lech is a podcast producer and media maker. He’s best known for Jacobin, Left Reckoning, and the Majority Report. We both dwelled or currently dwell in similar YouTube spaces and we’re both anti-capitalist. Lot of talk about the current state of affairs in this one.

Matt Kirshen is a comedian, writer, and podcast host. He’s one of the co-hosts of Probably Science, one of my favorite comedy podcasts that incorporates science news. Matt and I first met at a live show of the Infinite Monkey Cage and then reconnected when I moved to LA. He’s one of my favorite comics to watch.

David Whitney is a London-based actor and comedian. He helps run one of my favorite comedy clubs in the world, not an exaggeration, the Backyard Comedy Club in London. Turns out David went from Drama School, to getting booked to do stand-up in LA, only problem was, David had never done Stand-up. What? We go through it, buckle in for a wild creative journey!

Mary Houlihan is a comedian, writer, and artist. She’s the host of the Mary Houlihan Show and she paints live on Twitch. She had an interview with Martin Shkreli that I thought was hilarious and exposed and unmasked him.

Sara Kay Godot is an actress, comedian, and producer. Her and I have collaborated on an awful lot. She was in Loner, Left At Wall, and Termination Fee. Termination Fee began as a read through at a pizza place. It went on to do the Hollywood Fringe, sold out 60% of the run, got nominated for an award, and its film version is currently in post-production. Sara was a driving force behind all of that, so we’ve had quite a year.

Jesse Case is a comedian, writer, and podcaster. Jesse’s one of the best comedians I know, and he’s a good friend. We spent our early comedy days in Seattle, Jesse went off to LA, and then, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer in his late 20s. He documented the whole thing in a podcast series called Jesse vs. Cancer, it’s absolutely brilliant. His journey’s wild, and we go through it.

Leila Leigh is an actress, writer, and podcaster. We first met amidst the online Lefty Bernie Movement. She’s the co-host of one of my favorite Lefty YouTube Shows, PunchUp Pod. In addition to podcasting, she’s done a ton in the indie film space, some of it with her husband, Josh Stolberg, who was Episode 98.

Dave Chawner is a speaker, comedian, and anorexia survivor. I first met Dave at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival because we had a similar timeslot and our venues were near each other. I think most people don’t understand how anorexia works, or even what it actually is. I include myself in this. Well, I wanted to learn more...

Hank Thompson is a video editor, writer, and comedian. Hank and I both worked at The Jimmy Dore Show, and overlapped a little bit. Hank also worked at The Young Turks, and was heavily involved in the Union efforts there. Hank was laid off. The TYT Union effort was a national story. For the past 2 years and counting, Hank’s been fighting to get his side of the story out there. This one’s a deep dive.

Bill Conway is a comedian, writer, and co-founder of The Hard Times. The Hard Times is basically the Onion, but for punk rock. You’ve probably heard of the Hard Times, you’ve definitely seen one of their headlines. Recently, after over a decade, Bill decided it was time for him to step down from The Hard Times. How do we know when it’s time to say goodbye to a creative endeavor? Especially when it’s a successful one?

Chris Smith is a writer and performer. From a small farm in rural California to the movie business in LA, he’s had successes, failures, and has dealt with crushing loss. His Fringe show, Mine For the Tribe, tackles all of this, and takes a one-person deep dive into our search for meaning. I went to his show not really knowing what to expect. What is this tribe, anyway? I guess we’re all still searching, and that’s the point.

Before Lady Gaga, before Madonna, there was Johanna Went. Johanna Went is a performance artist. She found her home in the LA punk scene of the 1970s after a run doing experimental theater. The Minutemen opened for her. I got to meet her in Vetura because she was on a panel I was moderating for a screening of the film Desolation Center. I was stoked when she agreed to do the show.