1000 w/ Ron Placone

Michael Blaha is an Entertainment Attorney, Performer and Fringe Producer. I met him because of that last thing. Michael loves Fringe Festivals and has made it a large focus in his life. He’s a nomad. He’s an example of living a creative life on your own terms, which I’m always a fan of.

Andrew Frank is a comedian and performer based in Seattle, WA. They’re Queer, Pansexual and use They/Them pronouns. They grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household. Their dad was a fundamentalist Minister. We talk about the journey, the joy of Fringe Festivals and Andrew’s newest show, where they satirize an Evangelical Minister.

Marco Di Pinto is an Italian comedian and producer. He is among the main players in bringing Italian and English speaking stand-up comedy to Italy on a larger scale than it ever has been. I met Marco in Edinburgh at the 2023 Fringe Festival. He’s a creative pioneer, he’s like the Black Flag for stand-up in Italy. Not only is this extremely cool but there’s a personal element for me. Years ago, I h...

Tuesday Thomas is an actress, performer, comedian and filmmaker. Her documentary, The Trash Goes Out On Tuesday, is out now. It’s about her life growing up Transgender in the 70s. I met Tuesday some years ago in the comedy scene here in LA, I interviewed her in the past for a show I used to have. She’s had a wild life. Also, we both made our first movies recently, which is quite a process, so we h...

Mike Park is a musician, activist, and record label operator. He runs the legendary ska/punk label, Asian Man Records. I’m not fluent in the entirety of Asian Man’s catalog, but Mike Park has put out some of my favorite albums, period. He’s also one of the best examples out there of what it really means to be DIY and do things on your own terms. It’s been an inspiration to me for, literally, most...

Margaret Killjoy is an author, podcaster and musician. She has brilliant insights especially on the topics of Anarchy and History. Her video series, Live Like The World Is Dying, details her experiences living off-grid. It’s informative, insightful, brutally honest, and, when appropriate, hilarious. I’ve been a fan of hers for a few years now and was stoked to finally get to talk to her.

Goat vs. Fish is arguably the most cerebral, conceptual comedic artist in Los Angeles, maybe anywhere. Goat vs. Fish asks one question: Are you Goat or are you Fish? Is this an act? A philosophy? A way of life? Maybe all of the above. We talk about it. We also talk about their infamous appearance on Kill Tony and how Goat vs. Fish got kicked out of a Renaissance Festival. Please welcome to the sho...

Paul Strickland is a Storyteller. Actually, he is many things. He's a comic, producer, actor, puppeteer... but at the end of the day, more than anything, he’s a storyteller. Paul and I first met many years ago on the road comedy circuit, and since then Paul has morphed his career from stand-up into storytelling. As a storyteller, he’s performed at Fringe Festivals, Arts Festivals, Libraries an...

Nancy Woo is a poet, activist and community arts advocate. She’s based right across the bridge from me, in Long Beach, California. She incorporates social themes and climate change in her work, and she builds community through the arts. It’s inspiring and for many, myself included, a source of hope.

Kennedy Cooper is one of my favorite Twitter accounts. They’re insightful, thoughtful and hilarious. We’ve ran in the same lefty online circles for some years now and are finally collaborating. This interview turns more into a conversation, about the state of the left in the US, where we find hope and how we can do better.

Hamell On Trial is a one man rock ’n’ roll institution. Mainly a musician but part storyteller, part poet, part comedian, Hamell On Trial live is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s beautiful, chaotic and, like many special things, it’s not for everyone. I’ve known Hamell for nearly 20 years now and there’s a ton he shared in this interview alone I had no clue about. He opened for the Clash! An...

Stavros Batras is an actor and comedian. He’s been in some movies, he’s done presitgious stand-up shows and he’s represented by one of the top agencies in the world. And he did all of this while being based in Greece. He’s an example of how if you have the determination, the work ethic, and the perseverance you can to amazing things even if your circumstances may not be ideal. Stavros lives, at le...

Nicole Laurenne is a Muscian and Songwriter. Also, she was a lawyer. Her newest band is called the Darts. My wife and I saw them years ago in Highland Park and became instant fans. We saw them again recently in our neighborhood, San Pedro, and they tore the roof off the place. Killer garage rock, a little bit of punk and psychedelic and a fantastic stage show. I didn’t know much about Nicole other...

Paul Gilmartin is a comedian, show host and mental health advocate. He hosts the podcast the Mental Illness Happy Hour which is one of my favorites and has helped a ton of people. Myself included. I guested on Paul’s show and talked about my struggles with anger, it’s still one of the only platforms where I’ve opened up about that part of my life. Trigger warning: This episode goes deep. Paul disc...

Katie Love is an author and comedian. Also, she escaped a cult, at least that’s how she looks at it. For the record, I do as well. This episode concerns the Jehovah Witnesses, and how Katie Love eventually walked away from the Religion, after being indoctrinated into it at age 9. She also suffered abuse, and disclaimer, while we don’t go into as much detail as her book we do talk about it. 

Chris Lee is an author and historian. I’ve always been interested in the connection between politics in football aka soccer especially in Italy. It came up some in Episode 27 with Attila the Stockbroker. Well, I decided why not talk to someone who wrote a book on the topic. Chris Lee, among other things, is other of The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism. He dives into that history not...

Tim Parks is an author, novelist and academic. One niche of his: He writes about moving and living in Italy as somebody from a different country. I’ve read several of his books on that topic as well as a book he wrote about overcoming a very severe illness. 

Wanna be a writer? This episode’s for you. Chris Silber is a writer. He’s had movies and television shows produced all over the world. One time, I was chatting with Chris, he had a series launching in the UK, a movie launching in Italy, and he was developing a series in the US. He did all of this from his house in Nashville. His more recent projects include Sam a Saxon on Disney Plus and a childre...

Jerry Rocha is a comedian and a damn good one. I met Jerry in 2015, right before I moved to LA. We became friends and like most LA comics didn’t stay in touch all that great, just how it goes especially out here. Recently, I saw a clip of Jerry’s online and while it was a hilarious joke it contained some not great news: Jerry had stage 4 cancer. 

Francesco Il Mercante is an Italian musician and busker who has performed all over the world. He has built a one-man band assemble that allows him to do percussion and play guitar and at times harmonica, simultaneously. The entire thing is mobile, and he can carry it in a backpack. Due to his unique talent, he’s gone viral on YouTube multiple times. His version of Bitter Sweet Symphony' I pref...

Attila the Stockbroker is a poet, a punk troubadour, a musician, a force. He started in the UK punk scene in the early 80s. Throughout this interview, he recalls being heckled by nazis in the early 80s, seeing Black Flag’s first London show, his role in organizing his local progressive football club...If you like punk rock, left-wing politics, you’re not gonna want to miss a minute of this. When I...

If you grew up with Rugrats like me you're gonna love this! Melanie Chartoff is an actor, voice over artist, and author. I first met Melanie when we were on a show together for the Funny Times, a syndicated newspaper we’re both a part of, she writes a column for them and they carry Lucy & Ron, the comic I write. Melanie did a reading, her prose were incredible and she crushed. Among her ex...

Gigi Sohn is an attorney and public advocate. She’s served on the FCC in the past, and when she was nominated by Joe Biden many of us were thrilled. She’s been a leader, especially when it comes to issues like Net Neutrality, for many years. A right-wing smear campaign followed her nomination, and after three hearings, each more absurd than the last, she had to withdraw. It’s tragic she’s not curr...

Afeni is an activist, organizer and abolitionist. I’ve followed her stuff online for awhile and I’ve interviewed her in different capacities over the years. She’s part of a movement of community engagement, dominated by people in their 20s, that I find pretty admirable and dare I say, hopeful. You’re definitely gonna hear some ideas that challenge the norms, that’s part of 1000.

Russ Rankin is the singer of the legendary punk band, Good Riddance. He’s also a hockey scout and a writer. Russ and I have some big pillars in common: Punk rock, hockey, and lefty politics. Russ is a member of the Green Party USA. It’s worth mentioning: This episode was recorded in December of 2023. At the time, I was registered as No Party Preference. I am now registered as a member of the Green...