BACKFENCE Unhinged

Episode 49: FRAYN MASTERS  BACKFENCE Unhinged co-host Frayn Masters’ returns to tell us about her wish to be on LA's Magic Castle stage comes true. But what happens after the curtain is raised is anything but magical… or is it?  BACKFENCE Unhinged is a 29-minute podcast hosted by Andrew Dickson and Frayn Masters, two people you'd actually enjoy being stuck in an elevator with. The elevator stops o...

Season 2 Episode 48: KEVIN MALONEY Has a big crush ever led you astray? Kevin Maloney tells us about a snap decision that leads him to Montana and the Wild West twists and turns a big, heartache-y crush sends him on… Does he end up with the girl, or does he end up with something he never expected? Kevin is the author of Horse Girl Fever, The Red-Headed Pilgrim, and Cult of Loretta. He is the co-fo...

Season 2 Episode 47: Hilary Whitmore Maybe the skies are friendly but TSA not so much, especially if you are a person who blurts things out randomly when in security. Hilary Whitmore takes on an airport adventure of getting stoned, booking too early of a flight Meow Wolf, and having all the cops and all the TSA members surround her.  Hilary is a Portland, OR native, performance artist, ritualist,...

S2 Episode 46: Renee Jenkinson At 21 Renee moves to Montana and needs a job. She rips a number from a job board posting and ends up on a wild and at times soul-challenging adventure as a counselor at an outdoor camp for teenage girls. You will never guess the ending!  Renee  has spent nearly thirty years as a wilderness guide, teaching wilderness medicine and taking people to the edge of what they...

SEASON 2 Episode 45: Lauren Goché If you’ve ever wondered how to drive your career from being a top celebrity assistant in Hollywood to the antics of fishing for tuna twelve hours a day on the high seas, do not sleep on listening to Lauren Goché’s adventure of hilarious family dynamics, Snickers candybars, and dealing with seals.  Lauren is a fabulous Portland realtor who doesn’t just sell dwell...

A brand new season is upon us!! SEASON TWO of BACKFENCE Unhinged has arrived!!! Thank you for following along!  EPISODE 44: Brian S. Ellis Sometimes a much older brother’s love and support takes you on the most unexpected of adventures as a twelve year old. Through his brother’s deep belief non-actor Brian S. Ellis gets his big shot at Hollywood fame playing against Val Kilmer with hilarious resul...

Jocose and smart as all hell, Jason Rouse takes you on a nail biting floating home journey. Twists and turns featuring the sudden on set super-human strength, balancing on chains over water, connecting with his father, and what the hell is that floating in the water?  Jason is a writer, actor, husband, and dad to a wee feisty chihuahua named Goldie.  BACKFENCE Unhinged is a 29-minute podcast hoste...

Life with a toddler who is a runner is wild! Joey tells the hilarious story of Catch Me if You Can with her son breaking loose in a big winding museum.  Joey Slamon has written on shows like Arrested Development, Those Who Can't and wrote and produced I'm Sorry with Andrea Savage. She's written several features, sold several pilots and is also currently getting her Masters in Library and Informati...

Episode 43: Alina Aliyar Visiting India for a wedding  — Alina Aliyar finds herself drawn into an unexpected middle-aged night out in HOKAS. What can go right? So much. What can go wrong? So much.  But all of it is a super fun ride.  Alina Aliyar is a realtor, storyteller, and proud parent of 2 adult sized teenagers. She’s also a recipient of the 1987 Shakey’s Pizza reading award.  BACKFENCE Unhin...

ENCORE: AARON DRAPLIN Designer Aaron Draplin takes us on a GEN X tour of the skate punk and snowboarding world of his youth. Where zines ruled the day and skateboarders were total outsiders. Are there mentions of Dinosaur Jr.? Yes. Is there a caper involving fast food and the retrieval of skateboards from a boss's office? Yes. Is there a lot of fun, wisdom dropped, and the sweet follies of grunge?...

Episode 42: EMILY HEMSON It turns out that unhinged moments can come from very specific odd obsessions. Through repeated watchings of the movie Heavyweights comedian Emily Hemson has her heart set on finding  an inflatable ‘blob’ like the kids in the movie jump on in the lake. The way it flings them into the air is like magic. This image burns into her hypothalamus as a core memory.  Seven years l...

Episode 41: Katie Nguyen Katie Nguyen dares to ask the question… Why why shouldn’t I put a Q-Tip in my ear when the sensation is so goddamned dreamy? And what could go so terribly wrong? Why cotton-y ear canal friend-shaped when not ear canal friendly?  Katie Nguyen is a writer and comedian. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, you can hear her on SiriusXM, and she's a regular at Helium C...

ENCORE: LAUREN WEEDMAN This is an encore story from solo performer, actor (Hacks, Abbott Elementary, Sirens) and writer Lauren Weedman . She joined us from her apartment in Santa Monica, CA. Lauren tells us the hilarious at times cringey-in-a-revealing-way story of admitting to and dealing with jealousy at a celebrity New Year’s Eve party.  BACKFENCE Unhinged is a 29-minute podcast hosted by Andre...

Episode 40: Julia Oppenheimer Unrequited love breaks hearts, churns stomachs, and consumes copious amounts of mental space, ever since a human scraped a lovelorn pictograph onto the first cave wall. Julia Oppenheimer takes on a multi-year journey where she finds out what happens when grey area hits the sheets. Julia is a gal about town. When she’s not galavanting around the globe, she resides in P...

Episode 39: Mindy Nettifee What happens when what’s underneath the love mask is revealed? Well. A few things it turns out. Mindy Nettifee takes on a wild ride as she figures out how to get herself unstuck between a rock and a hard place.  Dr. Mindy Nettifee is a poet, artist educator, and somatic trauma therapist. She has published three full-length poetry collections and the how-to book on writin...

Episode 38: Nicole Hardy #2 Welcome back Nicole Hardy for her second go round with BACKFENCE Unhinged!  Be more like Nicole who has a line item in her budget that includes doing something nice for herself. Will Nicole’s happy ending wish come to full fruition in beautiful Mexico? Find out in this beautifully told, tender, and hilarious story!  Nicole Hardy is a Seattle-based writer and teaching ar...

Travis Abels takes us on an Irish journey to find his future-does he get there? Many wild roadblocks stand in his way!!!  Travis sucks at sleeping—but as a result, has some fun stories to tell. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he performs, makes movie trailers, shows unreasonable enthusiasm for squirrels, and hosts The Tiniest Party - a monthly underground storytelling show.  Over the past few...

ENCORE episode: Matt Sheehy  Writer and frontman for Lost lander Matt Sheehy and creator of the genius BACKFENCE Unhinged music tells a story of being a teenager longing for the promises of a big city while feeling a little stuck in the vastness of Alaska. He hops on an opportunity to get his first big taste of city life all the way in Australia! Find out how his new adventure goes and how employi...

Episode 36: Terri Knight Are you ready for a Central Oregon story about stealing from a drug cartel? Yeah, you are. Terri Knight takes us along on her attempt to outrun some complicated family roots and step into her Alex P. Keaton era, straight-laced, upwardly mobile, doing everything “right.” It does not go as planned. Terri Knight appeared in the award-winning HUMP festival film short, Birthday...

Episode 35: Gabi Dixson Ever wonder how a super charming hilarious person becomes the 5th strongest person in the world? Gabi Dixson stepped on a stadium stage and held up two giant Grecian Pillars – called the Hercules Hold – attached to chains setting a new world record (you  gotta watch that link. It’s insane!)! She also takes us through some wild surgeries on her road to recovery to come back...

Episode 34: Chris Williams #2 What happens when you cross youthful mischief, an old golf cart, and a legendary Lochness-sized fish? Only way to find out in this Chris Williams- tells-all episode!  Chris is a storyteller, improviser and the executive director and host of Front Porch Sessions - a Portland, Oregon based show that blends storytelling and audience discussion. He’s also our first return...

Episode 33: Andrew Dickson #2 When he was in Junior High circa 1989 BACKFENCE Unhinged co-host Andrew Dickson was a guest on the Geraldo Rivera show.  That’s right, on stage, sitting on a stool under the hot lights for an hour. Did he and I chat on national TV? Naturally. Does he have a killer  story about it? Why yes. BACKFENCE Unhinged is a unique and delightful twist on the storytelling podcast...

Episode 32: Britton Taylor Hold on tight, it’s time for a story about the unwelcome and somewhat mortifying item Britton Taylor’s parents find when helping to clean up his marital home after a breakup. Find out how that unsavory thing continues to haunt his relationship with his parents to this day. Britton was a longtime strategist at Portland ad agency Wieden+Kennedy and now owns his own consult...

Episode 31: Frayn Masters #2 Another episode with our host Frayn Masters sharing a new story that could easily be titled, “WTF is that in my dryer?”! This time around she leads us deep inside her ill-advised laundromat ritual that takes an unexpected creepy turn!  BACKFENCE Unhinged is a unique and delightful twist on the storytelling podcast where hosts Andrew and Frayn invite a storyteller on to...

Episode 30: Jason Sauls What can go totally wrong when your first job is a late night radio DJ? Turns out things can go sideways fast with a slip of the hand. This story is a lot fun and a little cringe. Jason Sauls has been telling stories on stage around Portland for over ten years and radio announcing and producing for over 30. Both occasionally ask you for financial support with or without a t...