The Next Best Thing

Jonathan is joined by one of his oldest friends, Mary Budd, for a conversation that somehow starts with Michael Jackson and ends somewhere much more personal. The episode explores the strange cultural amnesia around Jackson—how quickly the world seems to have moved past the allegations against him, with MJ the Musical on Broadway and the Michael movie breaking box-office records. From there, the t...

Comedian Giulio Gallarotti joins the show for a fast, funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt conversation. He talks with Jonathan about his unconventional path into comedy—including the surreal experience of performing original characters for Alec Baldwin at a private lunch—as well as the origin and evolution of OOPS The Podcast. Giulio shares what it was like to build the show with Francis Ellis, then...

Donald Trump has managed to avoid being held accountable and/or paying any real consequences for his actions his entire life. Whether bullying his classmates at military school, stiffing contractors, lawyers and anyone else who has ever worked for him, sexually assaulting women, defrauding investors, refusing to rent apartments to African Americans, evading taxes or calling for 5 black teenagers t...

John William Schiffbauer, former Deputy Communications Director for the New York Republican State Committee, makes his 3rd appearance on the show to discuss politics, the state of the Republican party, and what to expect in this election year. Hear why, despite Jonathan’s best efforts, he remains a loyal Republican to this very day. Catch new episodes of The Next Best Thing LIVE, every Monday nigh...

After just five years of success and dominance, most of American football fans seem to have turned on the Kansas City Chiefs. Right after the 2019 season, when KC made it to the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years, the news was all about the upstart Chiefs, and a feel-good story about how a franchise that had been so snake-bitten for so long was FINALLY getting their chance in the sun. A mer...

An emotional episode, where Jonathan walks you through his day, which began by being unexpectedly laid off from his lucrative job at Spotify. Other items covered include Mark Cuban's announcement that he'll be leaving Shark Tank after season 16, and a ridiculous story about a 9-year-old fan of the Kansas City Chiefs who has been put on blast for simply wearing face-paint. Catch new episodes of The...

On Oct. 12, 2022, the FDA announced there was an official, nationwide shortage of Adderall, a stimulant commonly used to treat ADHD. Over 8 months later, and nothing has changed. Folks laugh about all of the housewives, or over-medicated toddlers who are "tweeking without their Addy!" but as the shortage languishes on and on, and more and more people struggle to function without their medication,...

In 2020, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S., according to the CDC. It was a record at the time, with no close second. Then in 2021, 46,661 people died. Year-after-year America sees more citizens killed by guns than countries like Canada, Australia, France, England, Germany, and Japan COMBINED, and it just keeps getting worse. The deaths are tragic and heartbreaking, but the r...

Losing a parent is truly a unique form of pain, grief and loss. Our parents guide and protect us. They take care of us when we're sick, pick us up when we fall, and provide unconditional love. No matter how old you are, no one is ever truly ready to lose a parent. This is the second episode in our series of conversations Jonathan has with others who have had to say goodbye to their Mom and/or Dad...

Often called the city of dreams, New York City can also be the city of nightmares. Every single street is steeped in history, and in the four-hundred-plus years of construction, destruction, and rejuvenation, you're bound to hear more than a few legends and tales of the supernatural. In this episode, we reveal all of the most haunted buildings/locations in the Big Apple. Most of them are open to t...

A kid comes out of the closet as...something other than straight...but uses it to remind the world that if you were born white, you need to sit down and shut up at all times. Is this really where we are now?! Join Jonathan as he reminds us why stuff like this isn't progressive, it's just DUMB. Catch new episodes of The Next Best Thing LIVE, every Monday night at 10:00 Eastern on Radio Free Brookl...

Jonathan met Trevor Dutch in the Summer of 2012, when they were both hired to ride bikes around New York City, in custom made suits, for the USA Network and Mr. Porter. 9 years later, Trevor still gets hired for his looks--Jonathan does not. He's also been lured to the political right. In New York City? Let's find out why... Catch new episodes of The Next Best Thing LIVE, every Monday night at 10:...

Join Jonathan as he takes you through the nightmare that is moving in New York City, discusses one of the latest victims of CANCEL CULTURE, and reviews the 2019 sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining--Doctor Sleep. Catch new episodes of The Next Best Thing LIVE, every Monday night at 10:00 Eastern on Radio Free Brooklyn!

Chuck Schumer has been a steady, loyal Democratic soldier for what, 94 years at this point? More than that, he seems like a nice, sweet old man. You know who isn't a nice, sweet old man? Anyone who has ever gotten things done as the Senate Majority Leader. In this episode, Jonathan reviews a recent, long-form interview Chuck Schumer did with Rachel Maddow, and explains why Democrats should be conc...

HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher is back, baby! After going on hiatus for 2-3 months, one of the best, smartest political talk shows around kicked off season 19 with an absolute sack of shit. That's right--the jokes weren't funny, the interview was infuriatingly superficial, and at times it felt downright awkward! Unlike some on the "regressive left," who claim Bill Maher isn't woke enough to toler...

On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump rode down an escalator in New York City, stood before a crowd of (mostly paid) admirers , and announced he was running for President. Everyone laughed, no one took him seriously, and life has NEVER been the same. On November 3rd, 2020, for seemingly the first time EVER, his luck ran out. Donald Trump, America's most famous con-man, and two-time loser of the popular v...

Dan Zimberg is a singer, actor, activist, and die-hard Bernie Sanders supporter. In 2016, he couldn't get himself to vote for Hillary Clinton, so he went 3rd party. Jonathan is bound and determined NOT to let that happen again. In this episode of The Next Best Thing, they work towards finding common ground, keeping their eyes on the prize, and getting Joe Biden into the White House! Catch The Next...

Jonathan welcomes his old friend, and fellow Kansas Citian, David Bradley Isenberg back to the show to discuss Black Lives Matter, the recent protests and demonstrations in response to George Floyd's tragic murder, and the 2020 Presidential election. Spoiler alert: they don't quite see eye-to-eye on ANY of them! And that turned into a fiasco in and of itself. Buckle up, folks. Catch The Next Best...

For nine and a half years, Jonathan Larson worked as a waiter at the Moondance Diner in New York City. His life-long dream was to be a successful musical theatre composer, and he worked tirelessly to make it happen. He won some awards, and the respect/encouragement of Stephen Sondheim, but by 1990, Larson had ZERO shows produced. At almost 30 years old, he couldn't help but feel as if perhaps it j...

Mike Cannon is a New York City based comedian and a delightful human being. He's currently a regular guest on several Sirius/XM Radio shows, including The Jim Norton and Sam Roberts Show, and You Up? with Nikkie Glaser, and hosts The Irish Goodbye Podcast with fellow comedian, Mike Feeney. Jonathan sat down with Cannon in February 2020 to discuss his new comedy special, Life Begins, among other th...

On February 28th, 2020, former Vice-President Joe Biden's Presidential campaign was on the edge of collapse. The once front-runner had failed to stand out at the debates, was struggling to raise funds, and had yet to win a single primary. It was the end of the line...until, of course, it wasn't. Within a week, thanks to a decisive win in South Carolina, and some key endorsements, the Biden campaig...

On January 21, 2020, the New York Times reported that a man in Washington State, said to be in his 30's, had contracted the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. It was the first confirmed case in the United States. Since then, the virus has spread like wildfire, and is now a worldwide pandemic. Life in the United States has changed in ways no one thought possible, and NO WHERE more so than i...

Jonathan chats with Mike Welch, former sports talk radio host and current actor/comedian, who calls in from sunny West Hollywood, California, to discuss the pain and anguish they've both known as lifelong fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, who will face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. It's the Chiefs first Super Bowl appearance since 1970, long before Jon or Mike ever existed! Topics cover...

Marc Weinstein has been an investment banker, produced his own successful music festivals, is a yoga instructor, and currently works in venture capital. Listeners will recognize him, though, as the music consultant heavily featured in the Netflix documentary, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. He and Jonathan chat a bit about what life was like trying desperately to produce what was sup...

Jonathan opens the show by bringing people up to speed on all of the impeachment happenings, and the impending doom of Democracy. THEN, on a much happier note, he is joined by comic, writer, and co-founder of Awf Magazine, Griffin Leeds! They chat about how they both went to Indiana University, the comedy scene in NYC, and Griffin's monthly show, The Living Your Best Life Room show. To close thing...