Will and Slaney usual see each other passing through the tech booth at the Peoples Improv Theater, so a long conversation is a nice change of pace. Slaney talks to Will about studying vocal performance, musical theater, and theater. How she translates these skills into sketch comedy, tech disasters, improv comedy, and her ideas for many different solo shows.
https://thepit-nyc.com/people/slaney-rose-jordan/
https://www.instagram.com/slaneyrose/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Awesome Disaster Highlights!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T5fT0Sc8bipvHWFaBEY2J?si=5f8ad01818404d07
Will's Band:
https://www.instagram.com/skiplagnyc/
Lena McFrison's band The Loyal Cheaters will be playing with Will's band in Astoria Queens on November 2nd the last day of their US tour. Before that they sit down to talk about discovering Punk Rock and putting on shows in a small town in Italy. the logistics of planning a tour of the USA as an international DIY act, Their upcoming show at The Fest in Gainsville, Florida, and the songwriting process for their newest album And All Hell Broke Loose.
Follow and See The Loyal Cheaters Live
https://beacons.ai/theloyalcheaters
https://www.instagram.com/theloyalcheaters/
https://open.spotify.com/album/3nzloYQ27lnXmPrxHsYZBk?si=mXRRc92VTH2US_-1o26SfA
Writer and comedian Chloe Hawker started comedy as a release valve from attending Harvard Law School. She talks to Will about growing up in Colorado at high altitude, the musical rent, theories on the legal system and international relations, sketch comedy, writing, and finding The Peoples Improv Theater before moving to NYC.
Chloe's website:
https://www.instagram.com/chloechawker
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Awesome Disaster Highlights!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T5fT0Sc8bipvHWFaBEY2J?si=5f8ad01818404d07
Comedian and writer Erin Gonyeau is
She talks to Will about interning at Disney World, growing up in Connecticut, attending college for dramatic acting, discovering sketch comedy, the basics of sketch writing, and her shows at The People's Improv Theater the newer Your Father and I, and the extremely popular Love is Live.
Erin's linktree:
https://www.instagram.com/eringonyeau/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Awesome Disaster Highlights!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T5fT0Sc8bipvHWFaBEY2J?si=5f8ad01818404d07
Comedian Jake Otero has structured his life around stand up comedy. He talks to Will about growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico pre and post Breaking Bad, the cities up and coming stand up scene anchored by Dry Head Comedy Club, getting sober at a young age, discovering stand up comedy, working with National Headliners, and he and Will share their mutual love of Punk Rock music.
Jake on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jakeoterocomedy/
https://linktr.ee/jakeoterocomedy
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Awesome Disaster Highlights!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T5fT0Sc8bipvHWFaBEY2J?si=5f8ad01818404d07
Writer and comedian Jason Saenz's new solo show the Wheel World recounts his experience of becoming paralyzed, and his experience of trying to adapt to a world that does not consider wheelchair users.
He talks to Will about his experience performing at New Faces at Just For Laughs Montreal, starting improv in Washington DC, working as Steve Harvey's social media manager and writing jokes in his voice, his evolution as a writer and comedian after his accident, the development of his solo show The Wheel World, upcoming Fatherhood, and the country he'd most like to visit.
https://www.instagram.com/jasoncsaenz/?hl=en
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Awesome Disaster Highlights!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T5fT0Sc8bipvHWFaBEY2J?si=5f8ad01818404d07
Lily Giannoni is the process of building an extensive body of work in acting, sketch and screen writing. She talk to Will about growing up in small town New York, studying screenwriting, auditioning in New York City, writing and acting in short films, sketch comedy and the community around The Pit NYC, Her love of Ska music and what she wants to create next.
Lily's short films:
https://linktr.ee/LilyGiannoni
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Comedian Matt Ziegler is in the middle of his dream as a performer in New York City. He talks to Will about the recent Sketchfest at The Pit in New York City. Growing up between Florida and Columbia, working in Radio, how he got to NYC, Sketch Comedy, his group Febster and where he hopes to go next in comedy.
Matt on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ztron01/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
My chat with Schaffer the Darklord from 2018
Comedian Gia Doxey and Will are former high school theater kids who made good on their plans to move to NYC and make art. She talks to Will about growing up conservative in Florida, musical theater, moving to New York City, how close she got to her dream of working at 30 rock, her love of sketch comedy, stand up comedy and her podcast about the musical Jersey Boys.
Gia on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/giadoxey/
Gia's podcast:
https://linktr.ee/silhouettesjbpodcast_
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Chris Griggs' years of experience as a stand up comic and improvisor informs his approach as a teacher at The Peoples Improv Theater. He talks to Will about working to get passed at New York City Comedy Clubs, Improv comedy, his recent experiments in playing with the traditional forms of improv, acting and his approach to teaching improv to comics.
https://www.chrisgriggscomedy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgriggscomedy/?hl=en
https://thepit-nyc.com/people/chris-griggs/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Comedian Myq Kaplan is a brilliantly funny, and insightful comic with a command of language. He talks to Will from his hotel room in Minnesota about what makes the best comedy clubs the best comedy clubs, is masters degree in linguistics, how he got into stand up comedy, touring, performing material for crowds that don't agree with you politically and incorporating Buddhism teachings into his world view and what his understanding of the world is as a result.
Watch Myq's newest special:
https://www.drybarcomedy.com/myqk
Listen to Myq's past albums
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5H1u3kcNM0d7DJlihbXvBp?si=i-R3gWoATRC-FXAX5eJ3yQ
https://www.instagram.com/myqkaplan/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Comedian Patrick Hastie returns to Between Awesome and Disaster after an eventful 5 years that includes several goals from his last appearance coming into existence. He talks to Will about how the Covid-19 pandemic affected him mentally, and his comedy career, the steps he took to improve his mental health, how he avoids online arguments about stand up comedy to focus on his own comedy, his upcoming comedy album I Will Fight All Of You, pitching a show premise to Edinburgh Fringe, getting accepted and then having to write the show, and then Patrick and Will discuss their process for building a solo show.
Pre order Patrick's new comedy album
https://jackknifecomedy.bandcamp.com/album/i-will-fight-all-of-you
See Patrick live and Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/patrick-hastie-my-grandpa-s-grandpa-s-dad
https://linktr.ee/patrickhastie
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Rerelease of my chat with Zac Johnson of Frnd Crcl from 2021
Alex's band Brooklane got to play a single show before the Covid pandemic shut down live music. He talks to Will about growing up in North Dakota, how he found his love of singing, his beginnings in deathcore, writing the song Here to Stay and getting Jason Lancaster to do a guest vocal, and the bands new EP Stay Toxic.
Brooklane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklanemidwest/
Listen to Brooklane:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aN4FC9kUb3tG4sFgIR6pW?si=mKgvjKAERN6eYXDNrFqqaA
https://www.brooklanemidwest.com/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Comedian Brendan Fitzgibbon's interviews lifestyle coaches on his podcast Spiritual Asshole, and as of this moment is a comedy writer on strike. He talks to Will about the conditions that have lead to the current WGA strike and why it's important for the future of writing as a career option, moving to New York City from the Midwest, and then trying stand up for the first time, why he doesn't waste energy on trying to get passed at comedy clubs, what he's learned from interviewing lifestyle coaches, how he identifies scammers, and who he thinks in this industry is actually worth listening to.
Brendan's website, social media and podcast :
https://www.brendanfitzgibbons.com/
https://www.instagram.com/the_brendanfitzgibbons
https://www.spiritualasshole.com/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Rerelease of Episode 2 with Drew Whitney Morgan from January 2016
Becca Burg finds that Improv comedy allows her to be in a flow state of Singular focus. She talks to Will about growing up and being exposed to Theater in Florida, studying Environmental Science, the North Atlantic Garbage patch, finding improv as an outlet from Work and studies, moving to New York City, discovering The Pit, directing sketch comedy and finding what she want's to work on creating next.
Becca on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/becca.burg/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Jameer Pond was away from the stage for a while, but it was a storytelling class that he happened into after a humiliating experience that happened on stage at his day job that lead him back to the stage. He talks to Will about growing up in Brooklyn, discovering sketch comedy, starting in stand up comedy, how he ended up pivoting to the storytelling scene, finding the Moth and playing shows with them in different cities, Solocom 2023 at The Pit in NYC and the solo show he is working towards.
Jameer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameerpond/?hl=en
See Jameer live in Hoboken:
https://onthewaterfront.bpt.me/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Comedian Rashad Bashir and Will met when they were very new comics and working as ushers at Radio City Music Hall. He talks to Will about growing up in New York City, performing comedy at talent shows and having it go well and not go well, his time in theater, finding stand up comedy, what he's learned about producing live comedy and the future.
Rashad on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/rbashir_comedy/?hl=en
April 20th and 22nd see Will's Sketch group Backdoor BBQ in NYC https://thepit-nyc.com/events/backdoor-barbeque/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Comedian Ariel Elias turned getting attacked by a heckler at a show it into an opportunity. She talks to Will about growing up Jewish in Lexington, Kentucky, discovering stand up comedy by listening to The Bob & Tom radio show, starting comedy in New Orleans, moving to New York City, performing outdoors in the first summer of the pandemic, how getting a beer thrown at her by a heckler on stage lead to her late night debut on Jimmy Kimmel and why she was ready for the opportunity, and the change it's made in her career.
See Ariel perform live
https://www.arieleliascomedy.com/
Ariel on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ariel_comedy/
Ariel on Twitter
https://twitter.com/Ariel_Comedy
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Will's wife Chelsea Connor returns to the show to discuss traveling to South America as an 11 year old, how traveling to Vietnam right after it opened to American Tourists, bucket list travel destinations, and technology that is now considered vintage.
Chelsea on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/chelseaconnor
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw
Improv Comedy is the craft that informs rapper EpicLLoyd's creative output. He talks to Will about studying Improv in Chicago, discovering hip hop, what he likes about how his favorite rappers rap, touring colleges and NACA conferences with his Improv group, meeting NicePeter and creating the Youtube series Epic Rap Battles of History, what goes into writing rap battles, working with Weird Al Yankovic, Key & Peele, writing a rap for Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out of Water, and how Epic Rap Battles doesn't confirm to traditional Youtuber practices and maintains quality and sustains success.
Check out EpicLLoyd:
https://www.instagram.com/theepiclloyd/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/epiclloyd
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster
Listen to Will's band on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6diGYyCyFjJZNOZ0Madqrl?si=T0jg3j1bS9iXQ47rHekvgg
Listen to Will's Solo EP:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jMCe7S0qxESZaXEcfR1Cj?si=9h8vYhNKT5qmQX5g8QvWlw