Check spots are the hardest spot on a comedy show, and comedian James Mattern's new album/special was recorded during that exact spot. James returns to Between Awesome and Disaster to discuss the video version of The Check Spot which will be on Youtube June 3rd 2022, how he learned to succeed when performing during the check spot, opening for Chris Distefano, His new podcast about bombing called Thank You For Coming Out, and what happens when your heckler is a cop.
James on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thejamesmattern/?hl=en
James' podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thanks-for-coming-out-a-podcast-about-bombing/id1608436637
See Will's band live in Brooklyn July 19th:
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 New Solo Single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kdVurvFhDbU5xhHa1G5Rk?si=bb1c4514664e47cb
Comedian Lace Larrabee and Will met in NYC 10 years ago, and this year she recorded her debut comedy album. She talks to Will about how Competing in beauty pageants prepared her for stand up comedy, the Atlanta comedy scene and being a comic based outside of NYC or LA, comedy festivals, road gigs, recording her first album, and how southerns will tell other southerns to go back up north sometimes.
Lace's website: https://www.lacelarrabee.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacelarrabee/
Lace's Podcast:
See Will's band live in Brooklyn July 19th:
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 New Solo Single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kdVurvFhDbU5xhHa1G5Rk?si=bb1c4514664e47cb
Lords of the Trident vocalist Ty Christian's Operatic voice and business knowledge has taken his band all over the world. He talks to Will about his new course DIY Band on SpectreDigital.com, his early love of vocalists and singing, discovering metal in college thank to his roommate and now Lords of The Trident bandmate, Power Metal, working as a roadie for Steppenwolf How to use color and branding to make your band stand out, how Lords of The Trident uses the DIY approach to merch creation, touring and recording music, and how you can apply these principals to touring in Japan.
Listen to Lords of The Trident:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1C11hnl3RZ7hadyMv5g5gm?si=P9zCSl6VRvKStvVshzOSQA
https://lordsofthetrident.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lordsofthetrident/
Ty's DIY band course:
https://spectredigital.com/product/diy-band/
See Will's band live in Brooklyn July 19th:
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 New Solo Single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kdVurvFhDbU5xhHa1G5Rk?si=bb1c4514664e47cb
Dreadnoughts Lead Singer Nicholas "The Fang" Smyth's background in philosophy is interwoven into the gloriously fun Folk Punk. He talks to Will about the first single Cider Holiday from the bands' upcoming album Roll and Go to be released June 24th 2022. The sub genre of Cider Punk, UK Cider culture, balancing careers with intense DIY Touring, Philosphy, Nietzsche's connection to punk rock, Touring in Canada, a surprising gig in Northern Spain, writing sea shanty's and putting together vocal harmonies.
Listen to The Dreadnoughts
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0tfnDOJ5a2ib3mHAI4qGyD?si=mk8SDOnnS_abtrgfmCwO0g
https://www.facebook.com/thedreadnoughts
See Will's band live in Brooklyn July 19th:
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 New Solo Single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kdVurvFhDbU5xhHa1G5Rk?si=bb1c4514664e47cb
What Makes Sense frontman Radam Rebillard Thrashes with his band and makes Whisky. He talks to Will about making Whisky, selling real estate in upstate New York during the pandemic, discovering Pop Punk, being the frontman of a band and what that entails, songwriting, the formation of What Makes Sense, and the plans for more music in the future.
Listen to What Makes Sense:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2X89r7VnPlC3yrNk0GEdFd?si=o4Hb0KdvTKm9nNmmkiWl_A
What Makes Sense/ Radam on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wmsny/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/radamreb/?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 New Solo Single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kdVurvFhDbU5xhHa1G5Rk?si=bb1c4514664e47cb
Pete Bladel has been a comedian in New York City for a decade. He talks to Will about his just released comedy album Literary, his thought process behind recording a comedy album, starting comedy in Washington DC, his love of Jerry Seinfeld and the documentary Comedian, joke writing, Outrage as a marketing tactic, and the relationship between artists and their art and an audience's relationship with Art.
Get Pete's new album now! https://linktr.ee/petebladel
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 New Solo Single:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kdVurvFhDbU5xhHa1G5Rk?si=bb1c4514664e47cb
Comedian Josh Alba. He talks to Will about his love of professional wrestling, growing up in Brooklyn, the paths that different friends took from his High School, starting stand up comedy, producing shows, and his comedy goals for this year.
Josh's show in Brooklyn:
https://www.instagram.com/gildedcomedy/
Josh's Linktree:
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
Early 2000s pop punk is in the musical DNA of Wasting Time's Vlad Bojco. He talks to Will about the creation of the bands new album Once More Without Feeling on Paper + Plastick , combining different guitar tones in the studio, Moving to Canada as a kid, Canada's pop punk heros, the Canadian Pop punk scene, seminal live concert moments, favorite food spots in Toronto, and the bands upcoming live show plans for 2022 and third album plans.
Listen to Wasting Time: https://wastingtimemusic.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/wastingtimeto
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
How I Became Invisible's new album Another Ceiling is result of several eps and writing songs about a tumultuous time in Emily Reed's life. She talks to Will about the writing and composing the songs that would become Another Ceiling process a theme of grief that ends with acceptance, writing vocal harmonies, discovering Nirvana and Weezer as a kid, 2nd wave emo, Playing in the bands Take Today, Danger Club, Robots and Racecars, home recording, and the Philadelphia music scene.
Emily on Twitter: https://twitter.com/emdashreed
Pre order the new Album: https://howibecameinvisible.bandcamp.com/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
A lot has happened since Adam Gogola was on the podcast two years ago. Adam talks to Will about how the pandemic changed the release plan for his band's newest album An Act of Desperation which is now available, participating in Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd's death, the failures of capitalism, how working with others in your community is going to be the way forward because no one is coming to your rescue, his upcoming tour opening for The Bouncing Souls and Pizza.
Blind Adam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Blindadamfederal/
Get An Act of Desperation on Vinyl:
Get Tickets to see Adam on Tour with The Bouncing Souls:
https://www.bouncingsouls.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
Henry Menzel sits down on the podcast during an introspective time as he works on new music for his band Keep Flying. He talks to Will about his Band's unique combination of modern pop punk featuring horns, the bands songwriting process, Discovering Ska as a kid in New Jersey, the mission statement behind his band name Keep Flying, Warped Tour,the dichotomy of loving to be on stage and uncomfortable in everyday social interactions, and plans for new music from Keep Flying this year.
Follow Keep Flying:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/KeepFlyingBand/
Facebook - https://facebook.com/keepflyingband
Get Tickets to Will's band in Brooklyn March 27th
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
Comedian Christian Finnegan's newest special was recorded outdoors during the pandemic and included a few jokes that were said outloud for the first time. He talks to Will about putting together his new special Show Your Work, The cultural schism in stand up comedy, favorite bands and music, writing for the Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, The glory days of the NYC alternative comedy scene, and the difference in craft of the worlds of alternative comedy and headlining on the road.
Get Christian's new special:
https://christianfinnegan.com/show-your-work
Christian on Twitter and Instagram:
https://mobile.twitter.com/ChristFinnegan
https://www.instagram.com/christfinnegan/
Guitarist and Youtuber Pat Finnerty writes excellent music and has the knowledge of music to accurately and hilariously describe why some songs stink. He talks to Will about the Scranton, PA music scene that spawned a bunch of incredible bands, his first band OK Paddy, the genre implications of PRS vs Schecter guitars, Uncle Kracker's song Follow Me, writing songs on Fiverr, the I V VI IV chord progression and why he reacts son strongly to it, his growing popularity on Youtube with the What Makes This Song Stink series, Touring with Songwriter Strand Of Oaks, and some insights into his just released video about Dani California.
Pat's newest What Makes This Song Stink:
Listen to Pat's bands:
https://patfinnerty.bandcamp.com/
https://okaypaddy.bandcamp.com/
Pat on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_pat_finnerty_show/
Get tickets to See Will's Band Bright Ugly and Goalkeeper March 27th.
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
Big D and The Kids Table just announed their first US Tour in a few years but their Guitarist Alex Stern stays active through multiple musical projects. He talks to Will about Touring Southeast Asia with Big D, Collaborating with Japanese Noise band Melt Banana, Boston's Ska and music scenes during the 90s, Warped Tour, Reverend Guitars, The Big D songwriting process, demoing songs, Big D's upcoming tour, and his other projects The Pomps, Westbound Train, and The Inevitables.
Catch Big D on Tour in April/ May
https://www.bigdandthekidstable.com/#shows
Listen to Big D and buy merch!
https://bigdandthekidstableofficial.bandcamp.com/
Listen to The Pomps
https://thepomps.bandcamp.com/
Get tickets to See Bright Ugly and Goalkeeper March 27th.
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
For Comedian Justin Auslaender getting a truck as a teenager changed the direction of his life drastically. Justin and Will discuss their similar upbringings in rural Maryland, why he values his independence not just in comedy but in his work as a lawyer, how he got started doing comedy in Washington DC, moving to New York City, having a 2nd child during the pandemic, podcasting and how he balances creative pursuits with being present for his family
Justin's Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-dry-guys/id1372615659
Get Tickets to Will's band in Brooklyn March 27th
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
Devin Parker of Til Morning's music career began with his brother and continues with his brother to this day. Devin talks to Will about the writing and recording of Til Morning's Singles Okay, and If She Only Knew, how story is central to his songwriting in terms of music and lyrics, how he started on drums as a 12 year old in Chicago's punk rock scene, booking weekend songwriting getaways, recording tricks Plans for upcoming Til Morning releases, and incorporating real word sounds into music.
Listen and follow Til Morning:
https://www.facebook.com/tilmorningband
https://www.instagram.com/til_morning_band
https://tilmorning.bandcamp.com/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive music and videos at Patreon:
Podcaster Case Aiken and Will have both lived in Maryland and New York City but missed each other in both places.
He talks to Will about common issues he finds with movies he covers on his show Another Pass, Growing up in Bethesda, Maryland, comic books, his background in Theater and playwriting, making his own theater projects in New York City while working in theater, freelancing, how he got into podcasting, fandoms and his passion for Star Trek and creating fan films.
Case's IndieGoGo campaign https://igg.me/at/eMo1Ymwol-Y/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Get exclusive videos, music and more on Patreon:
Bright Ugly Drummer and Will's bandmate Lawrence Miller combines the mind of a philospher with the raw physical energy that comes from being a punk, metal and jazz drummer.
He talks to Will about the nature of performance and the physicality of playing drums, watching belief systems get broken down while studying philosphy in college, discussing the cultural impact of jazz music, growing up on heavy metal, moving to New York City, and what he thinks makes his band with Will Bright Ugly work so well.
Listen to Lawrence and Will's band.
https://brightugly.bandcamp.com/releases
Lawrence on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorcan_builds/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
Comedian Sean Lynch brings his background in Theater and Comedy into writing independent films. He talks to Will about how Star Wars blew his mind as a kid, The Big Chill's influence on how he works with actors and approaches screenwriting, the movie he is currently in production on, His beginnings as a comedian at the Comedy Cellar, some sage show business advice from a veteran in the field, his upcoming starring role on broadway in the play Girls Who Walked on Glass, his upcoming one act play he wrote titled The Wildfire Dogs, and his films Greenpoint Tavern and Every Other Sunday, plus some great comedy stories from the road, opening for Todd Glass, and Robin Williams.
Sean on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/seanlynchcomedy
Sean on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/geezerlynch/
Sean's first two movies:
https://www.amazon.com/Every-Other-Sunday-Adam-Mucci/dp/B083GFW9VP
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
Will's bandmate in Bright Ugly Freddie Heinemann have a very similar entry into the arts. Freddie tells Will about using humor to deal with Bullying as a kid, playing in punk bands while studying Jazz, how numerous run ins with Authority figures in both College, and UCB shaped his life and career, moving to New York City to pursue comedy, recovering from a failed suicide attempt, why he had to stop doing comedy, and how he got back into playing music and starting the band he is in with Will Bright Ugly.
Listen to Freddie and Will's band.
https://brightugly.bandcamp.com/releases
Freddie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.pinsandbuttons
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
Comedian Nick Vatterott's new Stand up film Disingenuous showcases the solid joke writing and wry absurdity that Nick has been honing for years. He talks to Will about Pinball, Comedy, and life, how similar the three are, starting in Chicago, the tone of arguments on social media, Stand up comedy's value in society, his new special Disingenuous, and how a movie he's making turned his home into a horder house.
Rent Nick's new Special:
Amazon Prime Video: https://amzn.to/3JlztZ5
AppleTV: https://apple.co/3ky4f66
Comcast Xfinity: https://xfin.tv/3H2RgSz
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3J6aBnV
Vimeo: https://bit.ly/3rNIZxx
Microsoft XBOX: https://bit.ly/3H2yLhf
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pg5lGb
Nick's podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-rich-nick/id1475300868
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
Russ Rankin's 1st solo album was a learning process of writing and solo performance, and he's brought everything he's learned about arrangements and songwriting into his upcoming 2nd solo effort Come Together Fall Apart out January 28th 2022 on SBAM Records. He talks to Will about how he has grown as a performer and songwriter since his first solo album Farewell Catalonia, his admiration for the songwriting of Rhett Miller of the Old 97's, Good Riddance's origins in the California punk scene, the bands long relationship with Fat Wreck Chords, avoiding the label wows of some of their peers, what the Major Labels missed in their approach to signing and working with punk rock bands, why being vegan on tour in Japan is difficult, and his work as a Hockey Scout.
Listen to Good Riddance:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Yunxnwa5znrQ9Ha7dZeHO?si=eVr6bGG7TIGabkmApgyhYg
Listen to Russ Rankin:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0MEz39CfxGXNOK4qAnvsvC?si=RJktOdKrQdK6viJidyk5Ag
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
Jake Skolnick's band Quel Bordel may be the first band who have been told to turn down during a gig because they were upsetting the Whales. Jake talks to Will about the band's new instrumental gypsy jazz album Dinner for Derelicts, his formative years as a teenager in France loving punk rock, being introduced to traditional folk music as a teenager, working as a performer on cruise ships where he met his future bandmates, show Quel Bordel was formed busking on a beach, moving to San Diego to start the band, mixing original show with cover sets, and sets in Irish pubs, opening for the Squirrel Nut Zippers, songwriting, diy recording, and upcoming Quel Bordel releases.
Listen to Quel Bordel:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7y8GrDd7D6u2R5T0LMKybH?si=o20eeq2oQIuMbSn7psbI_g
25% off Awesome Disaster Merch Thru New Years Day 2022 with code holiday25 here
https://between-awesome-and-disaster.creator-spring.com/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
It's the week of Christmas and that means it's time for Will and Paul Cohen to discuss the year in pop punk that was 2021. It the 4th edition of a holiday tradition on the podcast Will and Paul discuss their favorite EPs, Singles, Full lengths, and in a welcome addition, live shows they were able to attend/ perform this year.
Will and Paul's Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0IKq2vSG9W0Gdmkq2pEMY3?si=9b35fc519ed94d83
Paul on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/therealpaulcory/
Paul's year end recap list
Grayscale - Umbra
Better luck. - Summer of Pain
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Gone Are The Good Days
Mod Sun - Internet Killed the Rockstar
Between You & Me - Armageddon
Settle Your Scores - Retrofit
A Day to Remember - You’re Welcome
Rise Against - Nowhere Generation
New Pop Punk Trend
Mod Sun/Lil Huddy/KennyHoopla
Comeback Album - Real Friends (new singer, new EP)
Legend Album - Joey Cape
Live Concerts
New Found Glory/Less Than Jake
Bright Ugly
Covers
Punk Rock Factory - 2 releases (Masters of the Uniwurst, Scene This!)
Alex Melton (Youtube) - If Blink 182 wrote “1,000 Miles (and more)
State Champs - Chicago is So Two Years Ago
Singles
State Champs - Just Sound
Stand Atlantic - Molotov, Deathwish
All Time Low - Once in a Lifetime
MXPX - Say Yes
Mayday Parade - Kings of Summer
EPs
Young Culture - Godspeed
Hot Mulligan - I Won’t Reach out to You
Real Friends Torn In Two
Lolo - Overkill
Kenny Hoopla & Travis Barker - Survivors Guilt: The Mixtape//
Comedian Courtney Fearrington and Will likely crossed paths in the Washington DC Comedy Scene before officially in NYC. Courtney tells Will about growing up in Washington DC to military parents, joining the Marine Corp and being stationed in Japan, why you shouldn't go back to your home town, starting comedy, how underrated the DC Comedy scene is, his podcast Thug Passion Presents and the next steps he wants for himself in his writing career.
Courtney's website: https://www.bigccomedy.com/
Courtney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigccomedy
25% off Awesome Disaster Merch Thru New Years Day 2022 with code holiday25 here
https://between-awesome-and-disaster.creator-spring.com/
Will's Website: www.awesomedisaster.com
Podcast Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/between-awesome-and-disaster
Did an overhaul of the Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomedisaster