2 Degrees of Bob

Today's guest is a nerd genius, cataloguing New York City with his video camera and voyeur's eye. This is the interview I did with him after season 1 of his acclaimed HBO series "How To With John Wilson." His new movie—which I repeatedly refer to, mistakenly, it turns out, as "How To Make Concrete"—is getting rave reviews. You can check out the rave review from the Ne...

20 years after the premiere of the groundbreaking transgender documentary, Trantasia , we chat with two of the film's producers, Teddy Smith and his brother, our UCLA pal Smocko, plus one of the stars of the film, transgender activist Maria Roman.  Rent Trantasia on Amazon Prime here . Better yet, rent Trantasia here from the film's website. FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

Today's guest survived hepatitis and a failing liver while in South Korea to show his art and begin a year-long residency. Instead, he moved back home to heal and help his parents. We met Peyton about 10 years ago when we were both living in New York City. Now we're each hunkered down in Texas small towns, trying to make our art and survive the doomscrolling chaos. He joins us for a chat...

If you haven't seen Dave on Hulu, check it out. This is my conversation with the show's creator and star, the pride of the University of Richmond and one of the funniest rappers in the game. And for even more Lil Dicky, drop by his semi-new podcast Friends Keep Secrets , which he makes with his wife, Kristin Batalucco, and his best friend, superstar record producer Benny Medina.  FEEDBAC...

Today's guest arrived on planet Earth exactly 13 years after our host was born. Besides being a fellow June 12th baby, Carlos spent 25 years working as an animator for various video games before transitioning into fine art, comic books and graphic novels. Before moving to New Orleans, he spent a number of years in Austin, where he caught a ride one night from Austin's favorite cab driver...

Talking lawsuits, vaccines, mental health, trans documentaries and his career as an NBC hotshot in TV distribution with Chris “Smocko” Smith, fellow UCLA alum and former bartender at the S.F. Saloon in West L.A., birthplace of Barstool Poetry. We chat for over two hours and somehow never get around to hearing about the genesis of  “Smocko.” You can read Smocko's Substack here . FEEDBACK? CLIC...

Today's guest won the Best Director prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival for his first feature film, Fishing Without Nets. But we met when he was 16, during my Vagabond Bob days—circa 2003—when I showed up for Sunday dinner in my VW bus to the Arlington, VA home he shared with his writer single mom, who ended up insisting I stay for the week. We discuss his road to Sundance glory, the yea...

About a decade ago my new friend, Kyle, and I launched our podcast — Hi Neighbors — out of my apartment in Brooklyn. He and his friend, Peyton, even inspired two of the main characters in Green Thumbs . But instead of playing fictional Kyle, our friend with no acting experience took a smaller role as Rex, the cannabis salesman, who claims "I just like to help people out." We catch up wit...

Around 25 years ago, today's Cajun guest moved to LA.—where we met him—with dreams of being a writer. Somehow he became an in-demand art director with a wife and 2 kids in Tampa. Here's how that happened. FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

In May, today's guest and my little sister Jeni will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. After our chat, you'll probably understand why I'm so happy he's still around.  FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

It's been nearly 50 years since I was lead singer of the band that was called by Chuck Barris "maybe the worst act we've ever had on The Gong Show ." This podcast is an attempt to heal the scars. But, hey, at least JFK's brother-in-law was able to constrain himself from gonging us. FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

Forty summers ago I took a solo mountain bike trip from Manhattan Beach, CA to Boston, MA. A couple weeks into my adventure — on an empty two-lane highway in rural eastern Colorado — I met a fellow ill-prepared adventurer who was also mountain biking solo across America with no helmet and little advance planning. Leroy, who was from Plains, GA, and knew the Carter family, hit the road every day in...

In the summer of 2000, Tiger Woods was in the midst of one of the greatest runs in the history of sports, let alone golf. Days after winning the Canadian Open — after making one of the greatest shots of his career on the 72nd hole — Tiger was contractually obligated by one of his sponsors, EA Sports, to talk video games with a journalist. I was freelancing for USA Weekend and got the call. It did...

Nearly 16 years ago — in the days before Uber and Lyft — a documentary dream assignment of mine fell through two weeks after I'd moved to Texas to be with Molly, so I ended up getting a job driving a cab in Austin. I soon grew to love the city, the people and the idea of starting a cab-centric podcast called Rideo, which would feature recordings of some of my cab rides. A decade and a half la...

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, we're posting this conversation with our old SAE fraternity brother, who tells us how a highly-recruited kid from Michigan turned down the legendary Bo Schembechler to play football at UCLA. (Meeting the great John Wooden on his recruiting trip probably helped.) FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

Nearly 10 years ago, Joe Masi was looking to do something every day that scared him. After Molly showed me a video he posted on Facebook in which he was singing on the subway—which had always terrified Joe—I knew I had to meet the guy AND write a Green Thumbs role for him. Today's episode was initiated when Joe asked me to be on his podcast, Collective Conversations , which you most definitel...

Bryan Lawhorn is a man of many talents. Not only is he a talented musician, music producer and master storyteller, but he's also one of Elgin's favorite real estate agents and an excellent source for local history. And he's been in multiple Austin bands over the years, including his latest group, Cash Price. Occasionally, Bryan even finds himself slumming it by playing bass in our l...

After half a year away from the podcast mic, your host shows up to explain where the heck he's been for the last 6 months.  FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

Before he became an award-winning standup comedian, Frank Castillo was a high school student in Mr. Bob's social science class in Temecula, CA. Instead of ridiculing his substitute teacher, Frank wrote the following poem about the odd sub: A MAN, HIS GUITAR AND A FAITHFUL VW BUS...OKAY, WELL MAYBE JUST THE FIRST 2 In a time when everything was repetitive.  and there was not more adventure in...

I picked up today's guest hitchhiking on a lonely, dark road one night in southern Oregon back in October of 1997. Alwin de Jonge was a 21-year-old from Holland who loved Clint Eastwood movies and was looking for an adventure when fate put him and his thumb on the road for four months. This is the first time we spoke since parting ways in San Francisco 28 years ago, when I offered to let him...

Molly's Philly-raised Uncle Rick moved to Elgin, Texas, 50 years ago without a plan. Luckily, the man can spin a yarn. FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

I was a 27-year-old magazine writer living in Manhattan Beach, CA, looking to do some volunteer work with kids, when I was introduced to a bright, hilarious 9-year-old who'd been dumped at the Hollygrove orphanage in Hollywood a couple months before we met. Over 35 years later, the abandoned boy is family. This is our story. FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

When not talking Succession and cats, I get to tell our guest about the time we left his brother home alone at our house in Austin.  FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

A little mother/son bonding to kick off Friends & Family FRIDAY.  Where it all began. And for those wishing to send Mama Judy a birthday card — or just a note of encouragement — her mailing address is: Judy Benoit  P.O. Box 2272 Temecula, CA 92593 FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE

It's been about 7 years since I recorded this conversation with Green Thumbs star Fred at our dining room table in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Talking fine dining at Estela, future projects, cutting his hair and the craft of acting.  FEEDBACK? CLICK HERE