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 Frnd Crcl Drummer Aaron Smith from 2021
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
Chris Wrenn began what would become Bridge 9 Records as a teenager in New England, and has since but out over 300 records. He talks to Will about Deep Purple being is gateway into heavy guitar music, the New England Hardcore scene, how he started putting out seven inch splits with local bands, what Bridge 9 looks for in bands it works for, what bands can do to help get themselves positive attention, getting rid of gatekeepers in punk and Bridge 9's new physical record store in Massachusetts.
https://www.instagram.com/chrisb9/?hl=en
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
Guitarist/ Vocalist Ryan Malott's love of both Bluegrass/ and punk rock is on display in his band 500 Miles to Memphis.
He talks to Will about the writing of the songs Broken, Busted, Bloody, and All My Friends are Crazy, struggles with addiction both personally and in his family, how the classic album Sunshine in a shotglass allowed the band to play over 200 shows a year for several years, performing solo, how studio owners can get additional work from licensing and sync work, the new 500 Miles single I Want Mine, and Will's observation of a beautiful guitar hanging on Ryan's wall leads to an amazing and touching story of Ryan's collaboration with a Kentucky music legend.
Listen to 500 Miles to Memphis:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1AqoxUC6J6PdRjbc3wLlhk?si=tAjnM32HRpSeSupRSAGKjQ
https://www.instagram.com/ryan500mtm/
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
Greg Norton's new band UltraBomb wrote and recorded their debut album Time To Burn in Berlin much faster then expected. He tells Will how the album came together in a matter of days, where he was mentally when he wrote the majority of the albums lyrics, how his approach to writing and bass has evolved since his time in Husker Du, Touring in 2023 coming out of the pandemic and a surprise for Husker Du fans on this year's Record Store Day.
Listen to the new UltraBomb record:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4u2NU0NKwALURZY2qvtYQb?si=_0WPib_xTXueuVl3e8-mvg
UltraBomb Socials:
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
Mike Brian Fogerty returns to the show after a global pandemic nearly made him walk away from sketch comedy. He talks to Will about the upcoming Solocom 2023 fest at The People's Improv Theater, writing Sketch Comedy, what he's learned about TV Pilot writing, and his break down of Will's Pilot idea, why he almost stopped comedy, what kept him in, and what he's looking forward to in his new Late Night writing workshop.
Mike on Twitter: @themikebrian
Mike on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/themikebrian/
Mike's class:
https://thepit-nyc.com/events/late-night-style-writing/
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 and Musician Henry Phillips' career begins in Los Angeles at the emergence of alternative comedy. He talks to Will about working on the movie Sleepwalk with Me with Mike Birbiglia about his childhood in New Jersey before moving to Los Angeles, aspiring to be a musician before his sense of humor turned him towards musical comedy. The Early 90s Alternative Comedy Scene and being unaware of what has happening in different cities at the time, How Doug Stanhope and the radio show Bob & Tom led to touring as a comedian, how a collaboration with an old friend lead to starring in the movies Punching The Clown and Punching Henry, his Web Series Henry's Kitchen and how comedians Marc Maron and Sarah Silverman lent vital support to those projects.
Watch Henry's Special:
http://henryphillips.com/full-special-neither-here-nor-there/
See Henry Live:
http://henryphillips.com/tour-dates/
Henry's Kitchen:
https://www.youtube.com/@HenryPhillips
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
Improvisor Dahlia Haddad feels like a jock around theater kids, and a theater kid around jocks. She talk to Will about Growing up in St. Louis, playing soccer, discovering improv comedy and approaching it as a trade with skills to learn, living in Washington DC, and what being new to NYC is like, finding the People's Improv Theater, and plans she has for a solo show.
https://thepit-nyc.com/people/dahlia-haddad/
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 Drew Landry's new special All My Friends Are Dead confronts grief and loss in a thoughtful and funny way in the vein of a nightclub comic rather than a one man theater show. He talks to Will about starting stand up comedy at 13 in Chicago at a school talent show, moving to Baltimore and really developing as a stand up in the Baltimore scene, moving to Los Angeles and establishing himself there, why he chose to release his mini special on Youtube for free, performing on the road and what he wants to do next in stand up.
Watch Drew's Special:
Drew's website:
Drew on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MrDrewLandry
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
Calling All Captains Vocalist Luc Gaffwood chooses to have hope. He talks to Will about the bands recent US tour for their new album on Equal Vision Records Slowly Getting Better, the difficulties of touring the United States as a Canada based band, his early life as an award winning competitive dancer in the Edmonton Metis community, how he was originally the band's drummer before becoming the lead vocalist, the writing of the songs Friends & Family, and Steady Pensive, his hip hop side project Gaffwood, and future touring plans to support the new album.
Listen to Calling All Captains:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/38vVrIl7XQVwKEg9lvuygG?si=EyzpP5HbRiW2P9ZdbLyBMg
Listen to Gaffwood:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0lyIiplp1I2QqlCNjFhwVk?si=zLEWuJHRQwWwkf-WeNegYQ
Luc on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/lucgaffwood
Calling All Captains on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram:
https://www.facebook.com/Callingallcaptainsband
https://twitter.com/Callingallcptns
https://www.instagram.com/Callingallcaptains/
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 Mackenzie Jaquish produces multiple live shows in NYC and performs stand up, improv and sketch comedy.
She talks to Will about growing up outside of Calgary Alberta in Canada, discovering Saturday Night Live, and Weird Al Yankovic, starting stand up comedy, producing a public access show in her teens moving to New York City during the Pandemic, discovering The Pit NYC, the creation of her production company Pretty Funny Comedy, producing the wildly popular show Love is Live, and what she wants to do in stand up comedy next.
Mackenzie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackenzie_jaquish/?hl=en
Pretty Funny Comedy on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/pretty_funny_comedy/?hl=en
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 6 with The Cooligans Alexis Guerreros & Christian Polanco from 2016
Frnd Crcl guitarist/ vocalist Zac Johnson returns to the show ahead of the bands new single ADHD. He talks to Will about going on the bands first tour supporting Goalkeeper, becoming a two piece band, how that changed his approach to songwriting, the writing and release band's recent singles 47 and Golden and what plans the band have for new music and shows in the future.
Presave ADHD: https://onerpm.link/644672749823
Listen to Frnd Crcl:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5y4MciXJL9xyGtvnig6zAB?si=ZR5YAen0T-qPM6R3gO9_Ag
Frnd Crcl on Twitter:
Zac on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/frndcrclzac/
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