My Pod Week: Week ending 8/10/14

Mike Flinn (@realmikeflinn) isn’t just a podcast producer and engineer; he’s also an avid fan of the form. “My Pod Week” recaps and reviews the many varied comedy podcasts Flinn listened to or attended live tapings of during the previous week. Enjoy!

THE STEVEN BRODY STEVENS FESTIVAL OF FRIENDSHIP (#61 Brody goes to the Comedy Store)

On this very special episode, Steven Brody Stevens takes his podcast audience with him for a set at the world famous Comedy Store in Hollywood. Brody takes his podcast to the next level by trying something new here and as a regular listener I’m glad to be along for the ride. He starts out in his car and the second he hits the driveway of said destination we have our first conflict “…son of a bitch bastard!” his name is not on the marquee. The Comedy Store, some say it’s haunted. I ain’t afraid of no ghost but the place has an element of danger. I felt it one night when an intoxicated comedian threw a drink at the wall and menaced the audience. It may have been for dramatic effect and the cup was plastic but one thing is for certain, shit can get weird in there late at night. Brody talks to lots of fellow comedians and a few fans. He even gets a minute with pro-wrestling-icon-turned-comedian-“good guy” Rowdy Roddy Piper. Tony Hinchcliffe does a great Brody impression and we get to hear him continually roast our guide as he makes his way to the stage. At the 34:18 mark, Jeff Richards channels Robert Downey Jr, and Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood during his chat with Brody and returns later in the podcast as the ever dopey Dr. Phil McGraw. Brody also interviews manager/ comedian Adam Eget about the night Katt Williams threatened a heckler with a gun. “How did it feel to be in the middle of everything when Katt Williams went nuts with a gun…?” “I don’t think Katt had a gun, I don’t know.” “Was it true that he got two out of the chamber?” “No, not at all, absolutely not, where are you getting this?” The details may be unclear but police were involved and Katt Williams did get banned from the club. Brody’s time onstage gets quite interactive as he guesses where audience members are from with surprising accuracy at times. The crowd seemed to be a mix of tourists, Sunset Blvd stragglers, and real fans that play along. “And you’re visiting from New Jersey, and how long have you been here?” “Seven years.” “That’s comedy!” After his set he runs into Sandy Danto and Pete C. Sandy has well wishers in New York and Pete gets facial hair advice from Brody. He shares his concerns about bringing the podcast into his workplace but documentary-style content seems to fit him like a glove. You know what I’m talking about if you were lucky enough to catch last year’s Comedy Central show, Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! The show was one of the funniest things to hit that network in years and I don’t think they even realized it. Executive produced by Zach Galifianakis, the show blurred the line between person and persona. The hurdles and victories were taken from Brody’s real life and the delivery was mockumentary television at its finest. I don’t know if another season is in the works, but in the meantime I’ll continue to enjoy this festival of friendship.

Listen to Episode #61: Brody Goes to The Comedy Store

 

STARTALK RADIO SHOW with NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON & Eugene Mirman (StarTalk Live! Big Brains at BAM (Part 3) Bill Nye, Michael Ian Black and Paul Rudd)

Big Brains at BAM was a panel discussion recorded on stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson & Eugene Mirman. The night is split up into three podcast episodes and the guests were Bill Nye, Michael Ian Black, Paul Rudd, Dr. Heather Berlin, and child star turned neuroscientist Mayim Bialik. In part one, Neil asks “How come identical twins don’t think they are each other?” In part two I learned that dolphins sleep with only half of their brain shut down, just like I do. During the question-and-answer portion, Neil talks about how quantum physics defies our five senses. It’s weird, but its real. “It happens, particles pop in and out of existence.” He finds that people are quick to just apply quantum physics as an easy answer for the things that they can’t understand. I knew they were gonna talk about telepathy but they also covered telekinesis and eugenics. Telekinesis is like the superpower Dr. Jean Grey in the X-Men movies has, and eugenics I had to look up, but it’s the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species through the promotion of higher reproduction of people with desired traits. Fuck’n yikes! This episode was about the exploration of the human mind. Tune in, trip out.

Mike Flinn is a podcast producer/engineer based in West Hollywood, Calif., for All Things Comedy. The views expressed in My Pod Week are purely his own.

Mike Flinn

After a brief and unsuccessful attempt at a conventional education Mike Flinn started a band in his hometown of San Diego, CA. In 1998 he moved to the San Francisco Bay area and founded Back From Booze Hell zine. It was a collaborative effort dispensing equal doses of pop culture and prose, and made it's way into independent bookstores in the Bay Area, New York, and Los Angeles. Playing in bars and self publishing did not pay the bills. I held, I mean Flinn held many jobs during those years, most of them in warehouses. Like Bukowski without the talent. At some point Flinn walked off the job at Costco, breaking his mothers heart. Things get a little "hazy" around this time. He was an actor for a few years and then went back to songwriting and performing. Let's just skip ahead. When not playing with his iPhone or on a trip to Trader Joe's to pick up salads you'll find him watching live comedy in Los Angeles, recording podcasts, and writing.

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