1000 w/ Ron Placone

Franz Nicolay is a musician and author. He performs as a solo artist, he was a member of World Inferno/Friendship Society, he plays keyboards for The Hold Steady, and that’s barely a fraction of his music resume. As a writer, Franz has published a collection of tour essays, "The Humorless Ladies of Border Control", a novel, "Someone Should Pay For Your Pain", and his newest book is called "Band Pe...

Silverio Tucci is an Italian punk rock musician and Socialist. I discovered his band, Lumpen, via Attila the Stockbroker and became an instant fan. I learned that his family members were partisans. For anyone not in the know, that means they were the people who literally fought the nazis in their communities in Italy during WWII. They’re not mentioned much in history, but they were there, and when...

Thomas Frank is a political analyst and writer. He wrote the book “Listen, Liberal”, a thorough but fair dissection of the failures of the Democratic Establishment and in particular, the Obama Administration. He also wrote “The People, No”, which provides a factual analysis on what populism actually is. In the contemporary political landscape we’re living in, he’s one of the most important thinker...

Dennis Jagard is a musician and sound engineer. He is the singer, songwriter, and one of the principle members of the legendary skate punk band, Ten Foot Pole. I grew up listening to Ten Foot Pole. One of their songs in particular is one of my favorite songs in the world. Dennis and I get to talk about that. I tell him why the song means what it does to me and my interpretation of it, and he gives...

Danny McDermott is a producer, actor, comic, and filmmaker. His latest effort, Party Panda - The Birth of a Serial Killer, is tearing it up in the indie horror world and continues to grow in popularity. Want to know what it really means to get movies produced in Hollywood? This episode’s for you. Spooky Season continues!

Anastasia Washington is an actor, comedian and Scream Queen. She is an institution in the Indie Horror Comedy world. She’s appeared in tons of movies you’ve seen and she’s carved her own niche that, while most at home in indie horror, is versatile enough for anything.

Samantha Hale is a comedian, writer, producer, and most importantly, she’s a horror-comedy institution. She produces the show, Horror Nerd, which combines Horror Movies, stand-up, storytelling, and cinema nostalgia into one incredible show that’s generating a buzz in LA and now, nationally. It’s officially spooky season! 

Voting in a US Election soon? This episode’s for you. Greg Palast is an investigator, reporter and filmmaker. He’s worked for the Guardian and covered the Election Integrity beat in the US for 25 years. His newest work, Vigilantes Inc., is about the type of voter suppression to expect in 2024.

James Fauntleroy, also known as Jay Befaunt, is a show host and member of the YouTube Network and activist org, Revolutionary Blackout Network. I’ve collaborated with Jay many times in the past, both on his show, my show and different panels. I never knew much about him. Who was the man beyond the online presence? All I can say is buckle in, he has a heck of a story. Please welcome to the show, Ja...

Kaytlin Bailey is a comedian, performer, former sex worker, and she is the executive director and founder of the Non-Profit, Old Pros Online, an organization dedicated to the decriminalization of sex work. We've both incorporated policy passions into our creative endeavors, her with sex work and me with Digital Rights. Those two issues cross pollinate a good bit. I’ve known her since we were b...

Zeynab Day is a campaigner, activist and journalist. She’s also a mom and an entrepreneur. She’s lived many lives and overcome many obstacles. We’ve crossed paths in similar circles and seen experiments succeed and fail. We reflect on that and more. Also, given some circumstances in my personal life, there’s a beautiful coincidence to the timing of this episode. 

Josh Spector is a marketing expert who helps businesses get more clients from their content. He runs the For the Interested newsletter and he has a podcast called I Want To Know. Josh’s blogs and advice changed my life. It's hard to imagine where I would be if it weren't for Josh's blogs and advice. I explain how.

Sabrina Salvati, aka Sabby Sabs, is a YouTube commentator, journalist and activist. She is part of the indie media space that I used to be heavily involved in, but now keep at arm’s length. Though my overall take on the scene is not a positive one, I still think there are diamonds in the rough. We talk about all of that and more.

Joy Damiani is a musician, veteran, and anti-war activist. She has had quite a life. To escape a religious cult, she joined the military and got sent off to Iraq. Upon seeing the true nature of US foreign policy, when she returned she became involved in anti-war protests and actions, and she’s written some amazing songs, too. Buckle in, this story is quite the ride.

Darrin Bradbury is a singer/songwriter turned activist turned singer/songwriter/activist. He’s based in East Nashville. I first saw him when I was still living in Nashville and I became an instant fan.  Darrin’s star was starting to rise, and then one day, he walked away from all of it. He quit music. He left the industry and eventually found his way into mutual aid work which led to the creation...

Italophiles Rejoice! Valentina Martelli is an Italian journalist, entrepreneur and innovator. And that’s barely scratching the surface of everything she does. She’s a brilliant mind, has a work ethic second to none and on top of that she’s a genuine and kind person. I met her through a mutual acquaintance via my neighborhood of San Pedro. I’m honored to call her a colleague and a friend, and for t...

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.