Only Good Vibes News Network

Whistle Monsta sits down with Bruce Sunpie Barnes - Contemporary Creole music icon, Louisiana cultural ambassador, and Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang. Sunpie shares what Mardi Gras means to him, discusses the history of Mardi Gras culture, and talks about the history, purpose, and relevance of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang. Sunpie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruce...

Whistle Monsta is back in the Fan Cave, fresh off a trip to Paris and just days from returning to France to continue repping New Orleans and the Saints as an ambassador, and this episode brings a serious guest. Chansey Augustine, official photographer for New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno and co-founder of the Kicking Back NOLA Foundation, sits down for a conversation that goes from picking up a $25...

Pete Murano was raised all across America. Born in the Northeast, he moved to St. Louis and finally settled in New Orleans, Louisiana. He developed an attachment to an equally nomadic music form, the blues, at an early age. Starting on saxophone at age 11, he began teaching himself to play guitar as a teenager. Murano's music then underwent a natural evolution as he began to explore R&B and ro...

Whistle Monsta sits down with James Beard Award–winning chef Alon Shaya for a deeply personal conversation about food, resilience, mentorship, and what it truly means to serve a community. Chef Shaya shares the inspiration behind his second cookbook, Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival. About Memories of a Good Meal: An unforgettable collecti...

In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell sits down with his friend Jeff Duncan. Jeff is the sports columnist for The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, FOX 8 analyst, and the journalist who has covered the New Orleans Saints longer than anyone in the country. Jeff opens up about his experience of getting to know Steve and Michel Gleason, their inspirational impact, and c...

Part 1 of 2. Host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell sits down with longtime friend Jeff Duncan — sports columnist for The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com and the longest-tenured Saints beat writer in America. Jeff traces his unlikely path from a wildlife management major at Eastern Kentucky University to the newsrooms of Louisville, Monroe, and eventually New Orleans. He details breaking the Nick Saban to L...

On Episode 75 of the Only Good Vibes News Network, host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell sits down with his longtime friend, Chef Will Avelar. Will is a New Orleans native, Grace King and Delgado alum, and one of the most genuine success stories this city's food scene has produced. Will's journey reads like it was written for the screen. He walked into his first restaurant job not even knowing what...

In New Orleans, food and Saints football is a passion and a lifestyle. And nobody lives it harder than Ben Collier. On this episode of the Only Good Vibes News Network, host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell sits down with Ben Collier - better known to Saints Nation as Cyborg Saint, one of the most recognizable superfans in the entire NFL. But there's way more to Ben than the costume. He's also the...

On this episode, host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell welcomes Michael Guidry — New Orleans oil painter, Louisiana marsh devotee, and the artist critics have called "the punk rock Audubon." Trained at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts and LSU, Guidry builds richly layered compositions on wood, burlap, canvas, and aluminum — inspired by time spent at his fishing camp in the South Louisiana salt...

Former Saints punter, Thomas Morstead, came through the FanCave and we had a real, honest conversation about anything and everything. Thomas is just a genuinely good dude. I'm proud to call him a friend, and New Orleans should be proud that he still calls this city home and continues to give back to the community. Don't miss this one. No politics. No negativity. Just good vibes. Who dat. Subscribe...

New Orleans has always been a city that creates. RicRACK makes sure that creativity never goes to waste. On Episode 70 of the Only Good Vibes News Network, host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell sits down with Jena Housman (Board Treasurer), Shel Roumillat (Creative Reuse Store Manager), and Julie Lodato (Project Management & Marketing) from RicRACK — a New Orleans-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that's...

Jazz Fest brings the good people to New Orleans, and this week it brought some incredible guests straight to the OGVNN studio. Leroy Mitchell welcomes Dennis and Tami from the Only in the Green Room podcast, a backstage artist interview show that gives listeners the kind of access you can only get when the cameras stop rolling and the real conversations begin. But then the tables turn. Dennis and...

Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell welcomes Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr, son of Mardi Gras Indian legend Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, and documentary filmmaker Mark Gunson to the Only Good Vibes News Network. The conversation covers Joseph's journey of carrying an iconic cultural legacy while building his own, the sacred tradition of Mardi Gras Indians, and the brotherhood behind New Orleans band The Rumb...

How did Whistle Monsta begin and what inspired the creation of the Only Good Vibes News Network? In this special episode, Montana Pinell sits down with her father, Leroy Mitchell (aka Whistle Monsta), to uncover the story behind the brand, the mission, and the journey that started it all. From the early ideas to building a platform focused on positive stories and community impact, this is a powerf...

Carla Jewell & Emma Bologna join Whistle Monsta in the FanCave for an upbeat conversation about their journey into New Orleans real estate, the uniqueness of buying a home in New Orleans, and their personal stories. Emma Bologna was born and raised in New Orleans where she attended Cabrini High School. She then moved on to Hawai’i Pacific University and LSU to earn her BFA. Emma is now back in...

Susan Spicer joins Whistle Monsta live in the FanCave for a relaxed, candid conversation about her life, leadership skills, and the many adventures she has experienced along the way. Susan Spicer began her cooking career in New Orleans and subsequently travelled throughout Europe and California before returning to New Orleans. In 1990, she collaborated with Regina Keever to open French Quarter fin...

*This is a replay in honor of Women's History Month This week on the Only Good Vibes News Network, Whistle Monsta and Jamie Bernstein welcome Holly MacKenna and her daughter, Maeve Graffagnini - authors of Inhale, Exhale...Shoot! Inhale, Exhale...Shoot! follows Kunall the Pelican, a talented young basketball player who loves the game—but when it’s time to take the big shot, anxiety creeps in. His...

In this inspiring episode of Only Good Vibes News Network, host Leroy “Whistle Monsta” Mitchell sits down with Lisa McKenzie and Angela Becnel from You Night Empowering Events, an incredible organization based in New Orleans dedicated to helping women embrace life beyond cancer. Founded in 2013, You Night Empowering Events provides empowering experiences for women who have faced cancer, offering a...

Pete Murano was raised all across America. Born in the Northeast, he moved to St. Louis and finally settled in New Orleans, Louisiana. He developed an attachment to an equally nomadic music form, the blues, at an early age. Starting on saxophone at age 11, he began teaching himself to play guitar as a teenager. Murano's music then underwent a natural evolution as he began to explore R&B and ro...

Whistle Monsta sits down with Bruce Sunpie Barnes - Contemporary Creole music icon, Louisiana cultural ambassador, and Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang. Sunpie shares what Mardi Gras means to him, discusses the history of Mardi Gras culture, and talks about the history, purpose, and relevance of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang. Sunpie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruce...

Whistle Monsta sits down with James Beard Award–winning chef Alon Shaya for a deeply personal conversation about food, resilience, mentorship, and what it truly means to serve a community. Chef Shaya shares the inspiration behind his second cookbook, Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival. About Memories of a Good Meal: An unforgettable collecti...

Whistle Monsta welcomes Heroes of New Orleans' Greg Ravy and Laney Chouest to the fan cave for Only Good Vibes News Network. Founded in 2016 by Algiers native Gregory Ravy, Heroes of New Orleans began with a simple but powerful mission: to give opportunities to disadvantaged youth and families in the community where Gregory was born and raised. Growing up on New Orleans' West Bank, Gregory witness...

Whistle Monsta welcomes New Orleans music journalist, Keith Spera, to the fan cave for Only Good Vibes News Network. New Orleans native Keith Spera has spent 30 years telling the stories of his hometown, especially its musical community. He's won numerous national feature-writing awards and was a member of The Times-Picayune newspaper's Pulitzer Prize-winning Hurricane Katrina coverage team. His a...

Whistle Monsta and Jamie Bernstein welcome Devin Snow to the fan cave for Only Good Vibes News Network. Devin Snow is a New Orleans-area food influencer best known for his weekly series “RB&R Day” (Red Beans & Rice Day), where he travels across Louisiana and beyond sampling red beans and rice from mom-and-pop restaurants, corner stores, and hot plate lunch spots. What started as a college...

Whistle Monsta and Jamie Bernstein welcome Lionel Milton to the fan cave for Only Good Vibes News Network. New Orleans artist Lionel Milton’s art has become well recognized by collectors and companies throughout the world. For decades his colorful style has vibrantly demonstrated energy with ubiquitous appeal and eclectic charm. Over the years, Milton has been commissioned and collected the likes...