Tank Top Talks w/ Matt Braunger

You might know Ron Funches from stand-up comedy or any of his many acting roles (Loot, Trolls, Undateable, etc), but I know Ron from my hometown of Portland. We go back a lot of years, but we haven’t spoken much in the past couple. In fact, we had a blow-up recently that caused us to argue, talk, and repair our relationship. Listen to hear the story and see where Ron and I take it. This is, as we...

Kat Bird forgot her tank top! Probably because she hits so many open mics on a nightly basis. Kat struck me as someone who’s been doing comedy for ten years, but turns out it’s only three. Maybe because she’s a former chef who’s worked in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world (!!). Wild how she jumped from one high stress job to another! I love Kat, and this episode. Listen to get into a f...

Ali Macofsky is a murderous stand-up with a bone-dry wit and a real distaste for her boyfriend. I’m kidding, kind of. She also has serious opinions on the things that count, like fame, being cool in high school (or not), and what constitutes the best kind of fast food. She also told me that I shouldn’t eat healthy while I’m on the road, which was a revelation. I love you, Ali! Listen now Hosted on...

Kevin Avery (Comedy Central’s The New Negroes, Thugs: The Musical) is a great writer, both on and off the stage, and an old friend of mine. He co-created a series with me called “White Flight” exactly ten years ago, and it blows my mind that I’ve known him even longer than that. He was also in a boy band called 4-Now, and there were more than 4 guys in the band. Amazing! Listen now. Hosted on Acas...

Matt O’Brien (America’s Got Talent) is a hilarious comedian, a proud Canadian, and a hell of a fun guy. He and I hit it off immediately when we met, calling each other long lost brothers, even though his wife refuses to see the similarity. Hey lady, I’m the older one! We tank topped it up and got into a lot of fun stuff on this one. Check it out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Demi Adejuyigbe (@midnight, Smarty Pants) is one of those rare comedians who can kind of do anything, but it doesn’t piss you off as a comedian when you watch him. A young comic who is as funny onstage as he is online (again, rare), he’s also a genuinely nice dude who also rocks a mean tank top. I loved this episode. Check it out now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musician Ben Wise has written the music for everything I’ve ever done that needed scoring, from my first Comedy special “Shovel Fighter” to the podcast you’re listening to now. He’s also an old friend, an out-and-proud gay man, and partner to another tank top top guest, Dave Holmes. Believe it or not this is his first time on a podcast (!!). We talked creativity, finding your tribe, and why gay ba...

Comedian Fahim Anwar can’t not be funny. He ordered the strangest tank top I’ve maybe ever seen for this episode and kept Max and me laughing the whole time. Swear to God, I was wiping tears away for half of this recording. He and I have been friends for years, and I hate following him at The Comedy Store, but… it’s made me a better comic. Throw on your fave tank and this ep a listen if you need a...

You might know Johnny Pemberton from Fallout and 100 other things, but I know him from our weird Los Angeles beginnings and an ill-fated tour for old Milwaukee beer we did together. A true son of the Twin Cities area, Johnny was the archetypal “adult who can play a teenager“ for many years, but now he’s off on his own doing whatever the hell he wants. Maybe it’s the new studio , but both me and En...

Folks, we’ve reached peak tank with the incredible Frankie Quinones who wore his famous Creeper tank on the show. Shut it down! You might know Frankie as Creeper from his viral series “Cholo Fit,” as an incredible comedian, or as Luis on the regrettably cancelled “This Fool” on Hulu, but you might not know his incredible journey and new perspective on life. He’s insanely busy right now (blowing up...

Dave Lyons is so much more than Coco from Yacht Rock, the web series he co-created that invented the term (yeah, you can thank him for that). He’s also a location manager (currently on Abbot Elementary), a producer, and an absolute king of good times. He’s also an old friend of mine and deceptively hilarious. If you ever wanted a road map for making your own road in “The biz,” here’s a good podcas...

Everybody in the 80s dressed like a kindergartener who got to pick out their own outfit.” Solomon Giorgio is a hilarious gay man with the funniest perspectives on everything. From shirts “betraying” him by not fitting like they used to, to how He-Man was not made for the male gaze, to just laughing about the past and never reliving it, his outlooks are a riot, but sound. He never wears tank tops,...

Dana Gould is not just an old friend. He’s also the host of one of my favorite podcasts out there, ”The Dana Gould hour.” Dana doesn’t ever remember wearing a tank top in his life, so this is huge for his fans. A humble guy, his credits list is nonetheless staggering. I mean, he’s probably written your favorite episode of The Simpsons for crissakes. Throw on a tasteful tank top and give it a liste...

I first met Arielle Isaac Norman in Austin when she opened for me and blew the doors off the room. A beast onstage, Arielle is also a kind soul who bucks labels and expectations, as her online handle “Ellen Degenderless” suggests. On this episode we got into the comedy scene in Austin, how Ju-Jitsu uses lesbian moves in combat, why sex is actually sacred, and how paying attention to your health is...

Al is a special dude, emphasis on dude. He has a bbq grill and hockey gear in his car at all times. These are the necessities he has on hand at all times. And he's not doing it to seem cool – he just unapologetically loves what he loves and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. Unabashed, extremely genuine, and smart as all get out. He's also quite a looker, so I'm glad it's not just me carrying t...

Me: “How do you describe yourself?” Jodie Sweetin: “Other than loud?” Hollywood legend Jodie Sweetin is an actor since childhood and now has two teenage daughters. Stress navigation queen! Jodie and I first met when I tried (and failed) to get her on my comedy pilot (story on the pod) years ago. Just an absolute pro and the coolest/nicest person. “You have to find the truth in the ridiculous, othe...

If the apocalypse actually happens, you will hear one man laughing, and it will be “Smiling” Mike Falzone. One of the first YouTubers ever, Mike now hosts the popular improvised stand-up show “Surrounded.” A proud son of Connecticut, Mike has had “so many brushes with death” (his words) that he has no choice but to be happy. Take the note, everybody! We talked trying new things, navigating the biz...

Edi Patterson, realizing she hadn’t brought a tank top, stopped at a convenience store, found they only had t-shirts, then bought one and cut off the sleeves. A pure champion of comedy and life. Edi made my year when we met at a friend’s holiday party when, after I gushed about what a fan I was, she responded with, “Oh dude, same for you” (!!) (WTF?). You might know her as Judy Gemstone, but she i...

Tank Tops are ridiculous, but they feel good, and the reason they feel good is that they’re ridiculous. Welcome to Tank Top Talks - a weekly conversation podcast where comedian Matt Braunger sits down with comedians, writers, actors, and other luminaries, each of them wearing a tank of their choice. Once Matt and his guest get past the well-earned silliness, the conversation is always worth the li...

Akela Munsey is Renaissance woman, but super chill about it. She writes plays, performs in all kinds of shows, makes puppets, and takes care of various children in her off hours. She’s also incredibly young and wise beyond her years. Tune in to hear her talk about being homeschooled, her unique and refreshing take on life, and how you have to take art seriously but also not that seriously (at the...

Will Miles is a hilarious comedian, writer, and one of my best girldad bros (his daughter and mine were born months apart back in 2020). Maybe best known for his work writing on and co-starring in HBO’s insanely funny “Southside,” Will has also written on Grown-ish, Sherman’s Showcase, and All That. Will never fails to make me laugh hard, and you will too. Throw on your best tank (basketball...

Tank Tops are ridiculous, but they feel good, and the reason they feel good is that they’re ridiculous. Welcome to Tank Top Talks - a weekly conversation podcast where comedian Matt Braunger sits down with comedians, writers, actors, and other luminaries, each of them wearing a tank of their choice. Once Matt and his guest get past the well-earned silliness, the conversation is always worth the li...

Tank Tops are ridiculous, but they feel good, and the reason they feel good is that they’re ridiculous. Welcome to Tank Top Talks - a weekly conversation podcast where comedian Matt Braunger sits down with comedians, writers, actors, and other luminaries, each of them wearing a tank of their choice. Once Matt and his guest get past the well-earned silliness, the conversation is always worth the li...

Tank Tops are ridiculous, but they feel good, and the reason they feel good is that they’re ridiculous. Welcome to Tank Top Talks - a weekly conversation podcast where comedian Matt Braunger sits down with comedians, writers, actors, and other luminaries, each of them wearing a tank of their choice. Once Matt and his guest get past the well-earned silliness, the conversation is always worth the li...

Tank Tops are ridiculous, but they feel good, and the reason they feel good is that they’re ridiculous. Welcome to Tank Top Talks - a weekly conversation podcast where comedian Matt Braunger sits down with comedians, writers, actors, and other luminaries, each of them wearing a tank of their choice. Once Matt and his guest get past the well-earned silliness, the conversation is always worth the li...