Shemp Howard can be a polarizing Stooge amongst fans. But what role did he play in making the Three Stooges the group we all know and love today? Would they even be popular now without his presence? We talked with Geoff Dale, author of a new book, More Than a Stooge: Shemp Howard is available now wherever you get your books.
Tristan and Myrina never thought they'd be part of 'the lifestyle,' That is... until a chance evening made them re-think their opinions on things like non-monogamous relationships and, with their kids out of the house, they thought they'd give it a try. (With a lot of communication before, after and during.) To help spread the word about the lifestyle, they've started a podcast, The Accidental Swingers and using recordings they made along the way, the listener is guided through the ups and downs...
Throughout her career, Laurie Kaye has interviewed numerous greats. But one of her biggest interviews is also rife with tragedy. Laurie interviewed John Lennon on December 8, 1980, just hours before he was assassinated. Laurie talks about this important date in both her personal life, and in the life of all music fans and so much more in her new book, Confessions of a Rock n Roll Name Dropper , out next month. For more information, check out's Laurie's website , or follow her on Instagram ....
This week we get a fascinating look into the heart of Nashville and, in many ways, all the music we talk about every single week. The Country Music Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving and promoting country music in all its various incarnations. We talked with RJ Smith, a writer & editor for the museum about his job there (he just started!) as well as the biographies he's written on Chuck Berry and James Brown.
The genre of horror film has been around since the creation of cinema. And in the book Horror Unmasked , author Brad Weismann takes a look at the history of horror and where it's going. For more information, check out Brad's website . Plus, Bret Michaels had adopted Bret Michaels.
Likely, you haven't spent much time looking at the beauty of the moth. (We know we certainly haven't. ) But the new project, part performance, part music, part lecture, The Moth Project takes audiences deep into the role of the moth in both nature and our everyday life. We talked with Peter Kiesewalter, the creator and performer behind the Moth Project about his inspiration and how KISS figures into all of this. For more information, check out the Moth Project website , or follow them on Instagr...
Isaac Saldana created his company Sendgrid with a simple question. And with that question, he created a billion dollar company. Now, Isaac is starting again from scratch. We talked with Isaac about the entrepreneur bug and his approach to creative problems.
It's the season for ghosts and goblins and coffin racing. Maybe you're not familiar with the competition... Each year in Manitou Springs, Colorado, competitors carry their coffin up to the top of the track and head off, vying for the fastest speed. But the competition is about so much more than just speed. And you don't need to be in Colorado to experience the race- the whole thing is streamed on-line. This year's race is being held October 28th. For more information, and to stream the race, che...
Let's say you want to get into horseback riding and competition- but maybe you don't own a horse or are a little too young? Well, enter the folks at the Tryon Equestrian Resort who offer events requiring only a hobby horse? For more information, check out their website or visit them on Facebook . Plus, it's the popular game about drinks where no drinking is involved- that's right, we're seeing if Heidi can identify the drinks at U2's show at the Sphere in Las Vegas....
Most people unwind after a long day by hoisting a stein of beer. But for Jim Banko, picking up a stein was just the beginning. As a former world champion stein holder, Jim is now part of USA Steinholding, the official body of the sport. How do you get into the competition? How do you practice? And, most importantly, do you get to drink the beer you hold? We get all the answers from Jim. For more information, check out USA Steinholding's website , or follow them on Facebook or Instagram....
Julian David Stone has had a fascinating career. Starting by sneaking a camera into concerts and photographing bands he liked, Julian found himself employed as a professional photographer before a career in film called. Now, he's turned his talents to writing books. His most recent novel, "It's Alive," delves into the fascinating story of the behind-the-scenes of the making of the classic horror film, Frankenstein . You can find Julian's book wherever you get your books. For more information and...
If you're looking for a travel destination, look no further. The Moist Towelette Museum in East Lansing, MI has something for everybody and you can spend hours looking at the collection. John French is the founder and director of the museum and he walks us through the impressive collection he has amassed of moist towelettes. If you want to see part of the museum's collection, check out their website .
People are always looking for new ways to make learning fun for kids. What about using the tools everyone already has within them? Jamie Parganos started Creative Muse using creativity to help kids learn. (And it's not just kids- Jamie has seen the same approach help adults solve problems too!) The program is now in-place at some schools in New York and, shocker, they're seeing great results. For more information, check out the Creative Muse website ....
Who doesn't love a dystopian action story rife with 80's references and set in the fascinating/scary world of Las Vegas? We'll wait. Thankfully Jarret Keene has put pen to paper to bring us his debut novel, Hammer of the Dogs , an action-packed story for young and old. And lest you think this is Jarret's first time writing, he's a professor at the University of Nevada.. he's legit. For more information and to order the book, check out the University of Nevada Press website ....
If two podcasts weren't enough, we're adding a third one to our slate. This one is different. It's shorter and it offers a look into some of the most interesting people in history- and their final words. Titled, Famous Last Words , the show is a short examination of the life and episodes that led to our subject making their final utterance. And in this special sneak preview, we offer a listen to two episodes of the show. No one else has heard them! The two episodes feature the final words of Mar...
It's hard to summarize our conversation with Samantha Rogers. Is it too much to say, just listen to it? We touch on a lot of things about the fight and acceptance of transgender equality. Samantha also talks about her work with TGDetroit, a group that holds gatherings for the transgender community in the Detroit area. You can find more information about them at their website . But, otherwise, just listen to Samantha's story. You'll be better for it.
All the Go Topless movement is asking for is equality. And on Saturday, August 26th, the group will be celebrating International Go Topless Day. How do you join in? Simple. Just talk off your top. We talked with Nadine Gary, president of the Go Topless movement. For more information, check out the group's website , or follow them on Facebook or on Instagram....
The phrase on their logo says it all- 'Everybody's happy on the inside.' We talked with Jay Bliznick about his origin story, how he learned how to make gelato and what sort of sights and sounds greet every customer upon entering the shop. For more information, you can check out Sideshow Gelato's website , or follow them on Facebook or Instagram . And for information about the shows and other special events happening at the shop, check out the Sideshow Chicago website ....
This week we're running a conversation that we had on our sister show that's good enough to talk about on Why? (Plus, if you're looking for something to read on vacation...) His songs have been popular with generations of listeners. Now, for the first time, Felix Cavaliere tells the fascinating story of his life, both on and off the road with folks like Jimi Hendrix, Steve Cropper and, of course, The Rascals. "Memoir of a Rascal" is available right now wherever you get your books. For more infor...
What is practice? How do you define it? Why do you do it? And how do you do it even though you may not want to? John Vorhaus has a fascinating take on the art of practice with his new book The Book of Practice . For more information and to order a copy of the book, check out John's website .
What can we say about the great DJ Lance Rock? From his work on Yo! Gabba Gabba! To his work behind the turntables, Lance is wonderful. And we had a great conversation with him. For more information, check out DJ Lance's website , or follow him on Instagram .
This week we offer an episode from our sister show, Rock n Roll Grad School . And if that isn't enough, we're giving away copies of the book! Listen to the episode for more information! The early 1970s was an incredibly difficult time for one of the most popular bands of the decade. With two long time members having died within almost a year of each other, The Allman Brothers Band regrouped and recorded one of the biggest album of their career. We talked with Alan Paul about his new book, "Broth...
As people take to the travel this holiday week, we also need to remember the rougher parts of traveling. Thankfully Steve Silberberg has been collecting bags for years and, believe it or not, each bag tells a fascinating story. For more information, or to see if you recognize any bags, check out the virtual Air Sickness Bag Museum . Plus, what cover songs should a band from Australia play? And do toasters ever not smell of plastic?...
It's the trivia game America loves! This week we talk with Daniel and Rachel and we get down to the bare facts about this popular new podcast. Plus, we subject them to a trivia game of our own. Will they guess the right answers? Will they end up naked? Does it even matter because podcasting is an aural medium? You have to listen to find out! For more information, check out their website , follow them on Twitter or Instagram ....
Saunas are a popular part of many cultures, but in Estonia, 2023 is the year of the sauna. They're celebrating all the different kinds of saunas, and highlighting this important part of Estonian life. We talked with Elin Priks from the Estonian Tourism Board so we could get all the first-hand details and grab our towels. For more information, check out the website they've dedicated to this year's celebration.
Let’s be honest, we all need Hangover Helpers. The Perth, Australia-based company will come to your house the morning after a part and CLEAN EVERYTHING UP. They take away the trash. They wash the dishes. They get rid of all the cheese that got left out overnight. We talked with Anya from Hangover Helpers about the wonderful work this company is doing. For more information, check out Hangover Helpers’ website , follow them on Facebook or on Instagram ....
If there's anything that can bring the world together, it's got to be the mullet. The hairstyle that never goes out of style (or never goes in style) is back and being judged. We talked with Kevin Begola, the founder of the Mullet Championship to discuss the history of the championship, the children's competition and so much more. For more information, check out the Mullet Champ website , or you can follow them on Facebook or Instagram ....
By day, Austin Richards is an engineer and scientist, but by night, he's Dr Megavolt, blowing the minds of audiences everywhere by showing them the magic of science. We talked with Dr Megavolt about his early days and his complete lack of fear in building a Tesla coil, something which makes both Luke and Heidi quake in worry. We then move onto some of his most amazing performances, including several years at Burning Man. For more information on Dr Megavolt, check out his website , or follow him ...
Naturism is simply taking off your clothes. British Naturism is a group dedicated to spreading the joys of doing things naked. Swimming? Dancing? Axe throwing? Sure! And you can do all that (and so much more) at the groups annual Nudefest, happening this summer. We talked with Andrew Welch from British Naturism about the joys of being naked and all the things the group is doing to share the joy of being naked with everyone. For more information about Nudefest or British Naturism, you can check o...
Contained within the promise of every spring is baseball. And the national past time just isn't the same without organ music pumping up the crowd. We talked with Matthew Kaminski, the organist for the Atlanta Braves about his time behind the keys, and all the other sports and activities that keep him busy in the off season and when the team's out of town. And if that isn't enough, Matthew shows us his World Series ring! For more information about Matthew, check out his website or follow him on F...
