Shelby Plummer first heard of Slaughterhouse-Five from an internet boyfriend. After being grounded for having an internet boyfriend, she got to actually read the book as an AP English assignment and has been a Vonnegut devotee ever since. She devoured his novels and short stories in a way she had never really engaged with reading. He made a fellow Hoosier feel less alone for thinking it was OK to want everyone to be treated well through life, to read and write about aliens, and to make dirty jokes along the way.

Stephanie Anderson cut her teeth as a group leader working in an acute psychiatric inpatient facility at a children's hospital. The taxing environment led her to explore improv as a way to unwind outside of work. After some experience bringing improv exercises into her work environment with patients and coworkers alike, she set off to Chicago to pursue more improv learning and teaching opportunities.

Casey has put his general health and wellbeing on the line as he works up to 30 hours editing each episode of NeoScum, an actual-play podcast in which five Chicago improvisers play the tabletop RPG Shadowrun. A longtime lover and performer of musicals, Casey's level of perfectionism and lack of self-confidence launched him into editing the show and the rest, as they say, is history.

Tom Dyke has known the original 151 by heart since he was a preschooler, his pure fandom being born along with the Pokémon franchise itself. He has played the video games since he could hold a Game Boy, and his dad was the only adult in the neighborhood who would help he and his friends play the trading card game. So one can imagine his delight at the advent of a mobile game that would allow him, and potentially his friends, to catch Pokémon all over the world. 

One of Yazmin's earliest memories is her family watching one of their favorite movies: Killer Clowns from Outer Space. From Michael Myers to the Redfields of Resident Evil, her family came together to experience horror, for better or worse (too many zombies have been known to keep kids from sleeping well). She even enjoyed when they would gather around to scare one another with stories of their own crafting and has witnessed a few paranormal events that she's never been able to shake or explain.

Alyssa was born a rebel, as evidenced by her refusal to accept an "Indian" name in place of her own as a kindergartener on Columbus Day. This small rebellion opened the door to an interest in eking out the truth about colonialism, imperialism, and revolutions throughout her schooling. In college, she declared a Middle-Eastern Studies and Political Theory double major to feed her thirst for knowledge on how the history of colonialism influences the sociology of current cultures. 

Gary Pascal grew up in a home operated like an engineering firm thanks to his ME father. This nature and nurture led to all four of the family's kids also becoming mechanical engineers. After choosing BEST Robotics to fulfill a graduation requirement for his STEM high school, Gary was well on his way to serving as an engineer for Mars Chocolate right out of college.

Box Brown has been a pro wrestling fan since his first PPV experience: Hulk Hogan lost at Wrestlemania VI, and the friend he was watching with cried. He was hooked by the characters and the facade of it all, so it's no wonder that he became attracted to two huge cults of personality in André and Andy. André left a bevy of stories in his wake, one of which inspired Box to draw the first comic of what eventually became his NYT-bestselling graphic novel, André the Giant: Life and Legend. Young Box was also hooked by the way Andy borrowed the idea of wrestlers strictly staying in character and carried it into his comedy. Andy's antics as a classic heel culminating with being slapped by Jerry Lawler on Letterman secured him a place in the history of wrestling's secrets and Box's interest.

Meredith discovered the world of Jane Austen's novels in college and has since reread them many times over in addition to listening to them as audiobooks and rewatching the film/TV adaptations (at least the ones she likes).

Chels studied WB shows like Felicity and Gilmore Girls like they were homework, at one point in life staying up until 11 PM to watch a rerun of Gilmore Girls only to watch it again at 3 AM. They also began to mentally catalog the writers and actors from each show, faithfully seeking out trivia from DVD commentaries and social media accounts to feel more like a part of the fictional teen-aged worlds being created. Now, Chels prides themselves on creating worlds professionally as a B2B content specialist and creatively as a host of Sell Me A Pup, a show where comedians review made-up media.

Financial coach Dan Wood and his creative, funny friends Elizabeth Seidt and Damon Taylor love exploring the actual finances of fictional worlds on their podcast, Make-Believe Money. Some of that fictional world stuff made it into this conversation, but it's mostly focused on Dan's profession, how his influence has made Damon and Liz more financially aware, and how all of them view finances as a necessary if difficult conversation to have with your loved ones. Weddings are being planned, houses are being purchased, needs, wants, & savings are being allocated... A lot is happening here!

Jando's parents immigrated to the US from Iraq and Syria in their early 20s, making the first two decades of their lives vastly different from his even though he's only ever known them as quiet suburb-dwellers. He ruminates on how this has shaped his family and their Assyrian community via food, ceremony, language, religion, and a plethora of other small ways that he often forgets are considered different because it's all just his own American experience.

Tiffany discovered the possibilities of LARPing via putting on immersion theatre as the Artistic Director of Otherworld Theatre Company. After their own production of Gone Dark and attending Sleep No More in New York, she was inspired to take the interest even further by producing a series of 2-day LARPs in the Midwest called Chronicles of the Realm. Find out about the levels of experiential gaming and theatre that can be achieved as well as the work and talent it takes to plan characters and re-plan scenarios on the fly as players discover the path they want the LARP to take.

Carley Moseley loved to read so much as a kid she thought one of the coolest things about Matilda was that she had a wagon for her library books. One of her greatest loves is A Wrinkle in Time, and she's revisiting the novel now and unpacking all of these feelings about whimsy, family, and the upcoming film adaptation along the way.

Henry figured out how to use the internet to chat with friends and strangers alike at a young, desktop dial-up age. He's remained at the forefront of users for new platforms, networks, and apps due to some combo of an innate desire to connect online, a genuine curiosity at what the internet can do, and a relatively-innocent streak of trolling and shit-posting.

In her youth, Eunji was very into reading stories about girls with spunk, and Anne of Green Gables was always the prime example. She screamed through all eight of L. M. Montgomery's books and now returns to them often to access their surprisingly forward-thinking ideas about women, satisfying female friendships and other emotional relationships, and inspirational themes regarding coming from nothing.

Charles Clark Pettitt was born and raised “where cowboy meets Cajun” and still has a deep love for the region in spite of knowing he had to escape its rampant pick up truck and Coors Light lifestyle. His Pettitt ancestors settled in Askansas seeking oil, his grandfather Arkansas (...for real...there’s a Jr and a Sr...) ate a raw onion from their Louisiana farm at every meal after they had to ghost the oil boom towns, and thanks to a high school break up that inspired an ill-fated visit to Texas A&M, Charles eventually landed in Chicago to develop his performance skills.

Andrew Knox has been a Giants fan since his mom's side of the family adopted the team while they had a training camp in their home state, Vermont. He's lived for the building of the team and the fight to the finish every season, even when the Super Bowl victories have felt admittedly anticlimactic. It's more about the community of fandom for Knox, as evidenced by his being more than willing to unpack the nature of the NFL and sports fandom as opposed to laser-focused Giants talk.

Joe took his aspirations of comedy filmmaking all the way to a passion for photography. He discusses how a more serious interest in photography came into his life (along with a new DSLR camera and a broken ankle), what he's learned from working with models, and how his perception of the entire package of designing a shoot has changed. If Joe makes his subjects laugh a fraction as much as he did MBS, he's a natural at putting them at ease.

The tables turn once again in a holiday hangover edition of eMBSing. This time Eric “EMB” Braband unpacks MBS’s love of Irish indie movie musical Once. After 10 years of expounding her love of her favorite film, there are now a plethora of cultural and personal reasons the story and her love of it endures.

Some time in or shortly after college, Lisa Beasley binge-watched the first few seasons of Grey's Anatomy in a matter of days. She hasn't stopped rewatching the series since. The show has become her background sounds, and she cites the comfort level a diverse cast of characters who only discuss their jobs brings her. 

Maria Ranahan was named after her Italian grandmother, Mary (whose name was Anglicanized at Ellis Island). She has recently been cataloging her Italian mom's recipes, but she's had trouble translating things like "between these lines on my hand" into teaspoons and "up to here on your grandmother's pot" into cups.

Andy Kushnir started his Chicago journey as an improviser and sketch comedian, but he slowly realized that the anxiety he felt was not worth the performing, especially when he found himself so much happier at a keyboard writing scripts for others to perform. His writing 3-4 hours a day for 6-7 days a week combined with his experience in writers' rooms at Cards Against Humanity and Freeform have certainly shaped his life into the one-track mind of a writer.

Stanley is a self-proclaimed Reacher Creature. Having read most of the Lee Child novels with intentions of continuing (he recently took a break to read about the history of the FBI, so there's a bit of a theme), he can recognize how gripping the stories become and how ready-made they are for film thrillers (even if the second installment fell short... this is not a Tom Cruise joke, but it could be).

Caroline fell for traveling from the first time she flew on an airplane to big NYC from South Carolina as a high schooler. Between traveling abroad as an undergraduate and returning to Europe as a grad student, she has [inflicted] some battle scars, had her fair share of TSA troubles, and accrued an impressive list of places she's peed in public.

In the studio with Abraham Lincoln AGAIN and this time with fellow former president Thomas Jefferson?! Past guest of MBSing Timothy Dunn is producing a rap album Thomas and Abe are making together. This episode is about how 8 Mile inspired them to make that album. Or maybe about how they inspired 8 Mile to be a movie. It's pretty unclear, but there's an unfortunate amount of freestyle rapping.

After years of loving pro wrestling and knowing it's what he wanted to do with his life, a 14-year-old Colt Cabana found a way to get dirt sheets - all the insider info on what was happening behind the scenes and on smaller stages than what he could watch on TV. From there he quit being a bad Division I-A football player to focus on wrestling in college, then he quit a teaching assistant job to fully commit to wrestling at 23. Colt has been hustling his way through training and touring, a stint with the WWE, and cultivating a fan base via comedy and podcasting to support himself ever since. He's even recently authored a children's book called Wrestling Dreams loosely based on his love of wrestling and fight against naysayers as a kid.

Frank Spiro fell in love with the Saints, the Pelicans (née Hornets), and the atmosphere surrounding them when he landed in New Orleans for college. Forever loyal to Drew Brees and Anthony Davis, the New Orleans fan base seems unwavering to Frank in spite of their recent struggles and general lack of media coverage. As a frequent contributor to The Bird Writes, Frank is given the opportunity to stretch his comedic muscles while writing about a team he loves, a privilege he attributes to the overall c'est la vie attitude that seems to pervade New Orleans in general. 

Symphony Sanders has been interested in the personal stories behind her favorite performers since she was a kid. She likes being informed on what goes on in artists lives at least partially because she feels it brings important interpersonal and sociopolitical realities into public conversations, but also because she has a good time with it and likes being expressive about her own life on social media as well.

Once Matt had wrestled with the big Qs of "Where do we go after this?" and "Why do we do what we do?" in his youth, he found himself more focused on the even bigger picture as as adult: "Where did this all come from?" Now, oscillating between all three and folding these big questions into being a psychiatric nurse, writer, and improviser, he finds the idea that all of existence came from cosmic "shrapnel" inordinately comforting.

Ready for a dense chat about embarrassment, purpose, and fear of death? Good, because it’s coming for you! Shay went from being an artist and coproducer of Mortified Chicago to adding a more recent passion for being a death doula and funeral celebrant. Throughout those projects, she's asked others how they want to be perceived and remembered by audiences and loved ones, what story they want to be telling.

Dive in to this inception of a podcast: MBS was on Blank Cassette to talk to Eric Garneau about U Talkin' U2 To Me. On a week by week basis, Eric uses Blank Cassette to interview a guest about a mixtape or playlist they've made in the past and what went into its construction.

Melzer has been mesmerized by Wes Anderson's style since he saw The Royal Tenanbaums in high school, but it was his ability to relate to Rushmore's Max Fischer that cemented Anderson in his pile of people to intake, praise, and emulate. Wander through Wes's filmography with an aspiring filmmaker and learn about how important storyboarding is for Anderson's films, the ways he has brought back classic filmmaking techniques, and the distinctive dialog and powerful aesthetic choices that craft his unique and endearing style.

Ever since Ben learned to ace Jungle King and Fireball in his family's basement as a kid, he's been a pinball fiend, seeking out machines on boardwalks and at bars so enthusiastically that he eventually founded Pinball Chicago, a league of competitive gamers and compendium of spots in the city that offer pinball.

Ever since he saw Jackie Chan's First Strike at the age of 7, Eli has been a huge fan of Chan. All of Eli's favorite fights and films are covered as well as some fun facts about the Chinese opera school friends Chan has made the most movies with and his penchants for singing the theme songs to his movies and making blooper reels of outtakes and stunt failures.

Maria Randazzo starts her week by perusing a couple of horoscope sources, so this conversation starts with signs (sun and rising) and continues through how these messages permeate her day-to-day life and thoughts on spirituality and the world beyond the physical Earth. She's also looking for someone to sponsor her interest in getting more frequest psychic readings, so inquire within.

Clint Worthington developed a love for film as an Illinois farm boy who was admittedly more of an inside, MST3K boy than anything else. Since those days of pirated satellite, he's spent years watching film with a critical eye producing reviews for his own podcasting network at Alcohollywood.com and for Consequence of Sound as well as becoming a member of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle. Clint talks movies as empathy machines, reviewing film through the lens of an audience and not just as one critic, and being a Michael Bay apologist.

Jamison Webb started watching Marx Brothers movies as an ill-sleeping 7-year-old. Since then he's written sketches in their style (The Inappropriate ReMarx Brothers) and spotted their influence in other acts he loves (Stella) as well as becoming aware that they're like The Beatles of comedy.

Ever since a "Hiking and Haikus" elective course took her to Japan for a month in college, Becca Levine has been enamored with the landscapes and culture of the island nation. From the importance placed on natural beauty expressed via poetry to the aesthetic notion of "Wabi-sabi" emphasizing the beauty of imperfections, Becca has used her experiences as a teacher, outdoors-woman, and tourist in Japan to color her life in the US a bit brighter and more roundly.

Since she spawned the nickname "Miss Ann" as a child thanks to her behavior beyond her years, Angela Oliver has known she was an old soul. Passing time with her grandmothers watching TCM and church gossiping led to her current use of her love of jazz, Rockabilly fashion, and vaudeville antics to influence her comedy and add diversity among diversity in her performance endeavors. She's also never going to fully understand technology and will always be carrying Tums.

Post law school, Ed wasn't sure how he was supposed to make and maintain adult friendships without the benefit of forced socialization with other lawyers. So, he decided to organize a 12" softball team to add an activity to at least one night of his week (even though he didn't really know much about softball thanks to a partially European upbringing). Now, he's been in enough softball, kickball(?), floor hockey, and 3v3 and full ice hockey leagues that he should probably stop referring to himself as "not an athlete."

Claire Linic has never been calmer than when she is watching middle-aged women foster friendships, fight, host events, and try to sell things on the shows in the Real Housewives franchise. She tells MBS about all of the best and worst wives, the plethora of series and spinoffs, and how she found Keeping Up With the Kardashians to be a gateway into the world of Bravo reality television. There's talk of Skinnygirl, the Countess, Kelsey Grammar's ex-wife, NeNe and Kenya, Ramona Singer, Lisa Vanderpump, Andy Cohen, and the reunions.

Ever since she was in the presence of Tilda (across the aisle from her on a plane), Erin McGathy has not been able to shake her fascination with Swinton's style and approach to art. Erin appreciates the way Swinton discusses acting as a collaborative effort and even credits Swinton's ability to live happily in Scotland as a working actor for inspiring her to take the leap and move to Dublin from LA. We needed to talk about Kevin, David Bowie, and Michael Clayton, as well as a bit about how Tilda became a character in Erin's upcoming Edinburgh/Dublin Fringe festival show, MurderTown.

If you're looking for a DM, send a DM to Alan Linic. He's only gotten into D&D in the last few years, but his childhood knack of adding environmental elements to every playground game has paid off in spades both as an improviser and a dungeon master. There's also a long conversation about The Cheesecake Factory for some ungodly reason.

Brad Pike finds a morbid curiosity in exploring books and documentaries about cults at least in part because he believes he's a part of one. After spending a lot of time discussing Jonestown and the Order of the Solar Temple, Brad and MBS dig into the cult of improv comedy, Chicago style. Get ready to give up your possessions, pledge your loyalty to the leader, and be reminded that there are people who had to help their parents self-immolate.

Thanks to model home furnishings in the house she grew up in, Susan Glynn has rebelled against the status quo of design from a young age. After accomplishing her Limited Too-fueled dream of having a room with bright orange walls, yellow trim, and a blue clouded sky ceiling, she was set off on a journey of thrifty vision and bold choices. Susan now finds herself curating her living spaces as a middle ground with her cohabitants while using ways to keep it all affordable and aesthetically pleasing for her.

Nicole may not be a lifelong, generations of season tickets Cubs fan, but she is a lifelong baseball fan and she does cite the first time she turned the corner in Wrigleyville to stumble upon Wrigley Field as the moment that cemented her move to Chicago and kick-started her journey to being a Cubs devotee. She gets into the nitty gritty on each of the NLDS, NLCS, and World Series games she attended (and how she dealt with watching the others in bars). It gets teary, yelly, and giggly in spades.

Savannah Million has put in so much time farming, harvesting, and upgrading you'd think she'd have some fields to show for it. WHICH SHE DOES, but they're all of the digital variety. A longtime fan of the admittedly-flawed Harvest Moon franchise and newer convert to the Animal Crossing games, Savannah unpacks what it is that makes these game mechanics so satisfying and even how the min-maxing of certain traits of the game makes them less fun to traverse though more easily conquered.

Tawny Newsome has left behind the world of relaxers and weaves in favor of her naturally curly black hair, and she's here to extoll the virtues (and explain the difficulties) of a natural hair life. From how it's affected the roles she's called in to audition for to how strangers interact with her, Tawny's cosmetic choice to assimilate less to the general cultural ideal of straight hair has pervaded her day to day life in ways one may not expect. 

Due to a background of study ranging from psychology to physical theater, Mary Cait Walthall has become incredibly mindful of how people communicate with one another. She actively works to implement nonviolent communication and restorative practices in Chicago Public Schools, and she is always using the wisdom she gleaned from LISPA to be aware of nonverbal communication as a performer, teacher, and restorative justice specialist. The conversation ranges from doing improvisational theatre with ESL actors using their first language to how communication on the Internet is an entire can of worms on its own. 

Ali Barthwell sank her teeth into the sometimes-ridiculous NBC musical drama Smash from its premiere, and she continues to curl up under the blanket of its creative process years after its two season run. She walks the listener through [most of] the many story lines and breaks down the plot holes of the original musical added in the second season, Hit List. Beyond the delicious stretches they ask the audience to be on board for in order to have all the singing happening diegetically, there's a lot of discussion to be had surrounding talented females in music and how the show responds to some of these ingenues.

Katy, Dylan, and Molly share a love for watching and performing within the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres as well as sharing the stage in Otherworld Theatre Company's forthcoming original play, The Rogue Aviator. Dylan is an Otherworld (and MBSing) vet, Katy is a cast member of OTC's ongoing Sailor Moon parady series called Moon! Prism! Power!, and 10-year-old Molly is Otherworld's first child actor and was previously the youngest podcast host in the iTunes store. We spend some time on each of their favorite entries in the genres, the joys and frustrations of being a fan of these novels/films/TV shows, and the desire of the cast and company to bring more of these escapes to the stage.

Andrew has been an Anglophile since his Nana and Papa's living in Great Britain meant they passed along bits of its influence, pop culture, and kids books and toys on to him. Specifically citing Terry Deary's Horrible Histories series as the spark, Bentley's interest in the monarchy knows few bounds. He can rattle them off in order, expound upon their specific legacies, and cite both inspirations and inaccuracies in pop culture created about monarchs from before and after the creation of the UK. 

James has been GMing RPGs like a boss for four years as the host of the One Shot Podcast, and he brings his love of tabletop RPG design to MBSing with the same kindness and fervor that pervades their network. From finding the most basic of rules to honing in on how to bring about specific attributes in characters via their abilities, so much design ground is covered. If you're into D&D but have never ventured outside of the dungeon OR if you've always thought tabletop RPGs were only for serious gamer geeks and fantasy nerds, this conversation is absolutely for you.

Hal's enthusiasm knows few bounds, especially when it comes to the joys and silliness of professional wrestling. From his childhood fandom when WWF was only regional wrestling in the Northeast to having every match every week immediately available via the WWE Network, Hal's seen a lot of facets of wrestling at home, ringside, and even during one backstage endeavor (!!).

Enrico Fermi posed to his colleagues in 1950 that if aliens exist (and they should considering the vast nature of the universe), where the heck are they? Drew Krehel of Muscular Clown has been pondering this pseudoparadox since he was a science-interested young person devouring Sci-Fi novels and films, and as an adult he's been able to explore more of both the stats that have gone into the probability of ET life and the filters that life has to pass through into continued existence. The result is his structuring a wonderfully interesting dialogue about the existence of non-Earth-based intelligent life and why we may not have seen it yet. 

Alex Kliner has wanted to write film scores since he found out his biggest musical idol (Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails) was getting into the business himself. This self-proclaimed former "mall goth" went from taking piano lessons from an uber Christian teacher to writing music for friends' shows in college to touring with the Second City as a musical director to scoring a crowd-funded feature film and beyond.

Jenn Bane feels she wouldn't be the woman she is today without Neopets; It introduced her to gaming, message boards, and friends she still keeps in touch with. What started as and could have easily remained a conversation about the land of Neopia awaiting users at Neopets.com ends up being a discussion about Jenn and MBS's social habits as young people and how Neopets and youth have changed over the life of the Internet.

It's always a treat for MBS to share the love of a topic with her guest, and this RENT-head reunion was no exception. Mark saw the show on Broadway with its original cast as a high school southerner doing college visits, and it kinda changed his life. In addition to introducing him to a world of artists and diversity (and disease) he had no concept of, it "reaffirmed and maybe even instilled [his] love of a big ensemble of people trying to tell a meaningful story together." 

Author and professional puppeteer Mary Robinette Kowal describes her love of puppetry as an interest in the boundless nature of the medium. She can play any type of character, there are countless ways to present the puppets themselves, and combinations of puppet actors and "fleshies" are ripe for new experiences and metaphors for audiences. She even tells a great story about the unfortunate(?) place her hand ended up while on set for Sesame Street.

Tricia takes a break from cohosting her own inordinately entertaining podcast Nerdette to talk long form about a topic that gets inevitably philosophical. She has adored the idea of exploring time travel since she noticed it popping up in her favorite things to consume (Doctor Who, Harry Potter, etc). We talk some of her new favorite examples (she knows other people are watching Travelers) and spend a lot of time discussing why we as creators and consumers have become even more interested in exploring the idea of going to the past or future in recent years.

In. Out. Repeat. While listening to this great conversation with Nico Carter, the host encourages you to center yourself, breathe, and soft focus on what's around you. Nico starts by elaborating on the lung issues that befell him to make him more aware of his own breath in the first place, then takes MBS on a journey through the awareness that breath has given him in improv (musically, comedically, and where acting and writing are concerned) and day to day life.

John and Asher are close friends who write and perform together a lot, so they naturally have to make a lot of decisions together. We unpack the possible topics they both brought to the table and discover a lot of them are related to the subject (the Mandela Effect, heuristics), we dig into the way our personalities and thought processes affect the decisions we make, and we get into how an obsession with decision-making can make improv both a daunting task and a freeing gift of an art from.

Luis put in his years as a Universal Studios tour guide so that you, the listener, could be regaled with tales ranging from giving a VIP tour to a certain CA Governator to the ridiculous costume his union rep was wearing when he was let go from the job. From Courthouse Square (downtown Hill Valley in Back to the Future) to Colonial Street (Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives), Luis knows the ins and outs of the lot so well it often distracts him when he's watching one of the plethora of projects that have shot there.

Musical comedy duo The Doubleclicks remote in to chat with MBS about their favorite duos - from Fozzie and Kermit to R2-D2 and C-3PO, the ladies covered tons of kid-focused partners and compared and contrasted themselves along the way. As sisters Angela and Aubrey have a built-in partnership and reference base, and as artists they enjoy having music to explore their relationship to the world around them.

The tables turn in a special ep featuring past guest (and significant other) Eric "EMB" Braband interviewing MBS about her love of wolves. That's what wuves means. The interest mostly stems from reading and pet choices made as a kid, was cultivated via gifts and articles from family members over the years, and was reinvigorated thanks to an amazingly thoughtful gift from the guest host last year.

After growing up in the area as a fan of Pryor & Cosby, Bill Bullock has now spent many years in the Chicago comedy community and thinks a ton about finding one's way through it. We discuss a lot of the good and bad about getting your comedy chops honed in Chicago and the more common it becomes to see your "elders" and peers set off for the coasts for bigger things. 
 

Aisha knows what she likes, and what she likes is a good crime show. She wants there to be a self-contained story arc of whodunit, who found em, and what their fate is, and she'll check out pretty much anything your auntie watches on TV as a result. Law and Order (Original Recipe), Criminal Minds, NCIS, and even the new Elementary (which she marks as a better actual procedural than Sherlock in spite of her deep love of Benedict Cumberbatch) all make her watch list, and it's a blast to hear her break them down.

Laura-Ann Jacobs knows her way around an AYCE joint better than anyone I've ever met. She not a monster, she just appreciates a challenge. If she's not eating double to triple the value of the cost of the buffet, then why did she pay for it?

Being born in Canada and moving to the San Jose area around when the Sharks franchise was started there solidified Fin Coe's interest in hockey. All it took was a former high school sweetheart to bring him back to NHL fandom in college and some intrepid hockey-playing beginners in Chicago to keep his passion alive and spread it into actually playing recreationally himself. 

Alison Banowsky loves a nice, soft pretzel with some nasty fake cheese more than most things in the world, and she doesn't care if you think that's gross because that's who she is.

If you thought the recent conversation MBS had with Abraham Lincoln about his love of Weezer was too good to be true, wait until you get a load of past presidents William Howard Taft and Andrew No-Middle-Name Jackson chatting about the beloved teen party romp, Can't Hardly Wait. AJ counts down his top 5 baseball movies, Taft pines for Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Abe crashes the party before past guest of the show Tim Dunn shows up pretty upset that MBS "stole" his guests again.

Ho ho ho? Uh, try no no no! Nerdologues co-founder Kevin Reader finally came on the show to chat about his favorite athlete. From being a nerdy kid in jr high who got into basketball because it's what his friends were into (and because he grew up in IL in the 90s) to playing pickup basketball with Deron Williams in college, Kevman found an idol in Mutombo when he got his story and stats in a physical, chapter-a-month encyclopedia mailing.

Lifelong fan of the classics and passionate supporter of the continued seasons, Chris Rathjen is a Whovian of epic proportions. From watching black and white episodes on Iowa public television every Friday night ad infinitum to appreciating newfound BBC production quality and emotional nuance, Chris loves the humanity behind the otherworldliness of the show and has never missed an episode (to the point of enjoying ones that have recently been reconstructed from found audio and newly-produced animations).

Filmspotting cohost Adam Kempenaar takes a break from film reviews to chime in on the hit musical Hamilton and why he feels it has moved him so much since he saw it on Broadway in February (and subsequently in Chicago in October). While there is plenty of time spent on how Lin-Manuel Miranda's artistic feat shines from Burr's opening number to Eliza's closer, there's also exploration of the magic and singular nature of live theatre that has been reinvigorated for Adam this year. In his mind, Hamilton is a story about greatness and those who aspire to it. Listen up, get all the songs stuck in your head forever, and feel the warmth of Adam's anecdotes about how this show has brought him closer to his children in a way maybe nothing else has before.

From Puttin' on the Ritz to a shitload of dimes, Will Biby has loved all things Mell Brooks since he caught Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles as a young man thanks to the gentle prodding of his father. Since then, Will has dug into the deeper cuts of Mel's career and went so far as to host a staged reading of Mel's first film and one of his personal favorites, The Producers, to celebrate his own 30th birthday.

[Recorded live at the Chicago Podcast Festival] Noted actor-improviser David Pasquesi fell deeply in love with living in Italy when he spent a year "studying" there as a college student (by slowly convincing his parents he was considering joining the priesthood so they'd let him stay). From the general demeanor of its residents to its remarkable food to its storied, centuries-long history, Dave cannot separate himself from the nation of his ancestors. The country and his time spent there has colored his life from his grandfather's immigration to the states as a teenager to living there with his own wife and sons as they wait through the process of becoming dual citizens.

Nnamdi is a man after MBS's own heart: he's a movie crier. He unpacks the highbrow and lowbrow films that have inspired and moved him throughout his life. From Forrest Gump to Creed, Nnamdi has always emotionally responded to incredible storytelling via filmmaking, acting, and character work and strives to do the same in his own life as a performer.

Regular listeners may remember Bill's first MBSing appearance right after Election Day 2014. At the time he worked with United Way and Get Covered Illinois. He returns to unpack Election Day 2016 as a first year law student driven by the desire to affect policy. This conversation was recorded about six hours after the presidential race was called. It is raw, biased, and comes from a place of privilege.

Volunteering has been so integral for Emily's life that she didn't realize it was the perfect topic for her to chat about. From the Appalachia Service Project to The Ronald McDonald House, Emily has found causes she can contribute her time and energy to that make people's lives tangibly better. The real story here is about her time with REALITY Theatre, a local group that used the actual experiences of young people to reach school audiences on topic like substance use and bullying.

WOW what an exciting episode! Past guest of the show Timothy Dunn recently took a trip to Springfield, IL, and Abraham Lincoln appeared before him and said he’s returned to earth to guide the American people through this election. Tim convinced him to do a podcast for 15 minutes every week to discuss current events. After a few months of episodes, President Lincoln reached out to MBS personally (!!!) to take a break from discussing the 2016 election to talk about his new favorite band, Weezer, on MBSing. But don't worry, for some reason he thinks they only have two albums.

Jack Felker has been a fan of Kanye before Kanye was Kanye thanks to her brother playing Through the Wire for her before College Dropout dropped and became a became a musical phenomenon. Through thick and thin (except maybe his defending Cosby), Jack has stood by his musical brilliance, his resulting ego, and his marriage ("I felt an overwhelming sense of calm when I found out they were together"). 

While we focus mainly on the politics of the time (and of ours), this conversation with Cody certainly reveals in him a broad, deep-seeded love of this time in our nation's history and a ton of insight on how it got us where we are as a nation. Cody just got back from some touring through the colonial states, so be prepared for more delightful Marquis de Lafayette stories than you can shake a musket at. There's also plenty of chatting about how we would fix the current political landscape (because clearly we are experts) and how the Internet Age has become its own Enlightenment of sorts.

Mike Jimerson is set on how much he loves the drums. From the driving forces of bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Jimmy Hendrix Experience to Jazz drummers like Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams, and Buddy Rich, Mike loves what different drum sounds and skills bring to the music as a whole. He plays a bit and can even elaborate on the five-way independence training it takes to be really good, but mostly he fixates on watching and appreciating the best of the best.

From Toy Story to Finding Dory and everything in between, Nick Mestad has been a die hard Pixar fun since he was eight. He can rattle off the films, their directors, and other fun facts no problem, but the real joy of this conversation is how invested Nick has been as a fan and an aspiring creator all along. Pixar's fascination with effective storytelling has been a huge driving force in Nick's personal life and creative endeavors.

Grab a hose and take some sweet sips of the shisha my friends because Chrissi is here to school us all on what goes into a good hookah session. From coals to bowls to holes in the aluminum foil, there's a TON of ways to affect the taste and quality of smoking a hookah that Chrissi navigates every day as a server at a hookah bar. We also get some insight into the culture surrounding hookah (www.reddit.com/r/hookah), the art of mixing tobacco flavors, and a general commentary on how the average customer treats someone in the service industry. Tip your servers, people. Christ.

Ever since he realized how small cars made the world, Bill Stern has been obsessed with these sweet methods of transpo. Whether it was cautiously attending street races back in Texas or working on a project car that met a tragic end, Bill explores the world of automobiles with an interest that isn't always met by his peers.

Casey has always been a strong woman and a passionate performer, but a series of unfortunate events last year including one night of multiple break-ins and a long legal journey that resulted have made her rethink her own feminism. Hence: Feminism: REBORN. She's now turbo-charged and "feminist as fuck," and she has been writing, directing, and performing pieces and projects with women's issues at the forefront ever since.

Kate Nash, Adele, Robyn, Tori Kelly, Hayley Williams... if you're a white lady with solid pipes and a story to tell, Shantira is probably going to invite you in to help her feel. As a woman whose "heart is like the ocean" and performances must have an array of experiences to reflect on, Shantira loves to be in touch with a wide range of emotions even though she's never had her ocean of a heart broken. Check out her Spotify Playlist, White Tears, as a starter.

From tap dancing to the My Little Pony Theme Song to biking from Zipcar lot to Zipcar lot all over Chicago, Hannah has always enjoyed being an active person. She had a carefree journey through youth sports and became a dang triathlete while she was in college.

If there's anything Abby McEnany is better at than making people laugh, it may be laughing at herself. Don't be fooled by the self-deprecating title: This conversation is about how Abby has embraced the person she is, how she has used it to influence her comedy, and how so much of one's path and career has to be about being happy in the place you are.

Allison Reese used to ball so hard she'd make enemies on the court, but now she mostly uses her love of basketball to create analogies for other aspects of her life (read: comedy). A total gem and softy when not shooting hoops, Allison shares some personal stories ranging from attending Phoenix Suns games with her dad to being amazed at the kinds of things her mostly Mormon high school teammates would bring to conversations in the locker room to who she sees as the Steve Nash of Chicago comedy.

Ali Keirn has been such a big fan of Walt Disney World since her first visit at three years old that she can trace her desire to study and perform musical theatre back to seeing the highly produced parades and stage shows the park had to offer. Since then she's been back to the park, seen all of the classic animated movies Disney has to offer, ventured to Disneyland in California, and become a performer still driven by her favorite Imagineer and her favorite lyricist.

James T. Green is a coder, designer, podcaster, and all around creative type whose generalized anxiety has driven his work habits for his entire career. He has recently had to explore how his anxiety effects the way he can ennact social justice.

As a performer and teacher in Chicago, Tim continues to define and redefine what success means to him as an actor and person. A lifelong cinephile, he thought for sure he would spend three years studying in Chicago before shipping off to be a big time movie star in LA. He's now passed the ten year mark here and has a world of friends and experience he never could have fathomed. We discuss striving for success (and happiness) in whatever forms your career and personal life take and how his goals were shaped as a young person, an actor with representation, and now as an improv teacher.

Mom and I break down nearly every branch of the Braverman family tree as we discuss her favorite TV show, Parenthood. We mostly focus on how the casting, writing, and even music of the show make it such a strong, emotional exploration of a variety of hardships and heartfelt moments in the life of a big family.

Cher has loved Thom York's Radiohead since she heard a track from Kid A on a joy ride with her dad during a difficult time in middle school. We talk her emotional attachment to their work, how internet culture has changed how fans of a band interact, and being a fan of something as an atypical member of its demographic.

On the third anniversary of the release of the first episode of MBSing, MBS holed up in a studio and took 35 calls from past guests of the show. The topics ranged from specific episode updates to current concerns to catching up. The guest list filled quickly, and there were a handful of interested parties who wanted to catch me on another day (and a couple people I specifically reached out to as I knew they had incredible follow-up tales). Here are those six stragglers:

Rob Grabowski
Matt Young
Bret Dorman
Mel Evans
Rosie Moan
Jo Feldman

On the third anniversary of the release of the first episode of MBSing, MBS holed up in a studio and took 35 calls from past guests of the show. The topics ranged from specific episode updates to current concerns to catching up. Here's the fourth installment of nine calls from friends:

Nick Johnson 
Bryan Duff 
Claire Friedman
Eileen Tull
Kevin Budnik
Erin Lann
Julie Marchiano
Mark Colomb 
Lee Russell

On the third anniversary of the release of the first episode of MBSing, MBS holed up in a studio and took 35 calls from past guests of the show. The topics ranged from specific episode updates to current concerns to catching up. Here's the third installment of nine calls from friends:

Vernon Mina
Eric Braband
Katie Wadsworth
Max Temkin
Katie Utke
Mark Logsdon
Alex Talavera
Matt Visconage
Bill Green

On the third anniversary of the release of the first episode of MBSing, MBS holed up in a studio and took 35 calls from past guests of the show. The topics ranged from specific episode updates to current concerns to catching up. Here's the second installment of nine calls from friends:

Stephen Kropa
Jessie Stegner
Becca Taubel
Tim Swindle
Tim Dunn
Alex Trepka
Nate Bechtel
Meg Johns
Brendan Dowling

On the third anniversary of the release of the first episode of MBSing, MBS holed up in a studio and took 35 calls from past guests of the show. The topics ranged from specific episode updates to current concerns to catching up. Here are the first eight sandwiched between some sweet voicemails:

Sarah Shockey
Mike Gifford
Stephanie Corkery
Andy Herren
Mike Migdall
Wyn Evans
Adam Levin
Jon Pernisek
Steve Nelson
Jimmy Pennington

In a world of drugs and sex, a straight edge hardcore punk fan arose in Virginia and continued to maintain his abstinence for a number of years as a part of the Chicago comedy scene. Chris and I discuss his turn to the Dark Side, how even with the best of tenets and intentions, most movements have negative extremists, and how it feels to align oneself with a lifestyle choice to be a part of a bigger community.
 

Grab a D20 and roll up a character sheet because we are gonna go on a softly-guided journey, listeners. Bennett and Brendan have both had a love for tabletop RPGs since being looped into campaigns as teenagers. After years of different game groups and editions of Dungeons and Dragons, they've joined forces with other members of their theatre company, Otherworld, to create a staged version of their beloved pastime, Fight Quest, that recruits an audience member at the top of the show to be their hero. Lots of talk about other fun RPGs (Fiasco, Lasers and Feelings, Vampire: The Masquerade, etc) and the life lessons gleaned from dealing with all types of gaming personalities.

Eric Schinzer is no musical sheep waiting around for the sounds he loves to pop up in the lame stream. He knew he loved the sweet sound of synth from a young age (citing Dire Straights's Walk of Life as an early intro) and became a fan of midi, 80s sounds (and styles) from then on. A recent resurgence of synth came with a heavy dose of love of 80s-style scoring and turned into this specific Synthwave genre. It makes Eric tingle like an ASMR fan.

Honduran hunk Vernon Mina has been living a Hispanic family life his whole life... because... it's... his family. But there's way more to it than that! From entertaining his uncles as a young boy with bits borrowed from his Latino entertainment heroes (Don Francisco anyone?) to meeting his wonderful Mexican wife in high school and accidentally enrolling in a military school to follow her out of state to starting a family of his own and choosing to speak Spanish at home with his son, so much of Vernon's life on stage and off is influenced by his background.

Want to hear how Saturday Night Live played a hand in Mary Catherine Curran's journey to Chicago? Of course you do. She's a total badass. It starts with falling for Phill Hartman as a cast member thanks to her first and biggest comedy love, The Simpsons. There's a time in there where impersonating Mary Catherine Gallagher got her through middle school. It continued with having the opportunity to meet cast members and attend show tapings while working with Sketch Up at University of Maryland. It culminates in her time in Chicago where she continues to learn about herself and what it means to be a performer you can be proud of. Lots of love for the women of the aughts (Tina F, Amy P, Rachel D, Maya R, et al) because how could there not be?

Along with likely being the first person to ever tell me I should host my own podcast, Nathan Brewer is also the first person I've ever met who would defend Home Alone 3 as the best film of the Home Alone series. He champions the follow up to the first two [similar] films as a successful spy movie with a child protagonist.

Hooli beers me times two as we chat about his favorite brand of beverage, beer. From sours to stouts and malts to hops, Hooli knows his brews as a Cicerone-certified beer server. He's basically the beer equivalent of a base-level sommelier. On top of learning a ton, enjoy hearing about his endeavors in home brewing and his finely-honed service industry skills. 

It's easy to think there's some sort of god complex going on with Jules, but it seems more like a genuinely joyous and creative person genuinely interested in the goings-on of the people around her. What better way to entertain that than playing in a Sims world?

Jo Scott has boys. Jo Scott takes the boys places. The Chicago Park District has the best places to take them. Hear about all of the possible classes, programs, and settings the park district has to offer everyone in Chicago and remember that going outside and being active is both fun and affordable.

Ever since her first taste of unlimited television, Ilana Gordon has been obsessed (though maybe not with the shows you'd think). We talk about her time working for the Steve Harvey Show, ways she motivates herself to write, and a bunch of shows we like.

Warren Arnold has got it bad for bad movies. Ever since his childhood in rural Arkansas forced him to choose between televangelists or the one movie airing on cable, he's taken the low road (high road? who can say) of watching hilariously bad films. This led him to a very specific appreciation for poking fun at these horrible projects via MST3K.

It's a very special college reunion episode of MBSing with dear friend, former improv teammate, and playwright Bryson Howard who has more love for France than anyone I've ever met. We talk about his early years in French classes, spending a semester abroad in Versailles, and his current stay as a teacher in a program called TAPIF just outside of Paris.

Megan Johns has been creatively collaborating in some capacity for what seems to be her entire life. After thriving in programs like Odyssey of the Mind as a young person fueled by her parents' creative encouragement, Meg has been a part of bringing people together to create shows in Chicago (mainly at the Annoyance Theatre and as a part of The New Colony theatre company) for over a decade. We chat about how personality types, fear and anxiety, and finding a balance between healthy compromise and pushing one's own ideas all play into these projects.

Meghan has been booking performers for and hosting Thunderdome, an irreverent comedy variety show, for almost a year. We get into a lot of the frustrations and revelations that have arisen as a result, including the inevitability of a weekly show happening regardless of being ready for it, balancing life (school, love, self) with being an aspiring performer, and the energy necessary to book the best, most diverse acts.

Mike Gifford graced MBSing with his presence for a frank conversation on companionship, or lack thereof. We cover ground from Mike's (late) introduction to masterbation, a peer into his soul-searching as a lifelong single person, a recent experience of the grass not being green at all on the other side, and his feelings about late Justice Scalia.

Lovelies Mary-Kate, Dylan, and Elliot have inciteful ways that Billy Shakes entered their lives and remains an inspiration for them and across the world of theatre and culture, and we get to spend a lot of time dissecting their new show with Otherworld Theatre, Messina3004, a futuristic adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.

Shannon's been giving tours of Chicago for about a year now, and she gave an hour of her time in the off season to tell me about what works, what doesn't, and who the biggest troublemakers are on her laissez-faire bus tours. She gets the opportunity to cater tours however she wants, so she's had a great time diving into more of Chicago's darker, more realistic history.

Stand back as Lisa and I get down and dirty into why she loves science. From her first visit to the beach (not a lake) to sailing various seas as a cruise ship entertainer, Lisa has loved marine biology since she was around 10. Along with learning about Rosalind Franklin and Sunflower Seastars, I had a grand time chatting about how we both navigated our love for performing as science majors in college.

Be prepared for an excellent MBSing episode full of campfires, merit badges, and Eagle Scouts with my friend Adam. He loves how much he learned as a scout, the time he got to spend with some of his best friends and father, and all the nights spent around a campfire (that he built) cooking for and otherwise entertaining his troop.

Caitlin's going to the [theatre] and she's gonna get married [in October], so she took this opportunity to express her love for wedding planning and how much that interest shifted when she had to think about the reality of getting the details nailed down for her own. From saving pages of Martha Stewart magazines in college to carefully curating four different Pinterest boards today, Caitlin has scoured plenty of sources for wedding options and has a good grasp on what she wants, doesn't want, and wishes she had the budget for when it comes to her own big day.

His Name is Grant, and he wants wants Everybody to grab a seat and take in some sweet musical vids (actually, No Scrubs allowed). From the time of daily Daly fixes to the gift that was YouTube, music videos have shaped how Grant consumes music, spends time with friends, gets ready in the morning, and views musical artists' artistic desires. 

Leah Frires brought some much needed soul to MBSing with talk about her love of all things Motown. We spent time talking The Temptations, Steve Wonder, Diana Ross, and plenty of others PLUS we chatted about the cool bands her parents have been members of over the years that kept Leah passionate about music. I try to uncover how watching a modern version of The Temptations crushed Leah's spirit, but she was just too taken by them.

It's an MBSing holiday special as I welcome back Kevin Budnik 100 episodes later to talk about a very specific, festive corner of his original topic, cartoons. We cover a lot of ground, but we probably spend the most time dissecting Rugrats Chanukkah and the Christmases of Doug, Hey Arnold, and Rocko. My favorite part is not the nostalgia but how we view these specials as adults and the lasting themes they have for us.

Jacob Eugene Horn grew up not ON a farm, but surrounded by farms in small town Wisconsin. His helping his neighbors over the years before he struck off for Chicago the day he graduated from college inspired a passion that evades his life. Between a Master's program in Sustainable Urban Development, jobs with the Chicago Park District and Windy City Harvest, and a general interest in and passion for knowledge of zoning laws and urban farming, Jacob's making Chicago a greener place.

Shawn and Steve share an interesting and important bond: a fascination with the ongoing phenomenon that is Garfield. As almost lifelong comic fans, they can both recognize the broad appeal The Garf had early in their lives that got them hooked and the gratitude they have for his role as an entry point as consumers and producers of comics.

Mark Logsdon has been a father for almost six months. Meanwhile, I can barely get myself out of bed in the morning. We talk a lot about the tangible and intangible ways your life and the way you interact with the world changes when you have a child. We hear the birth story, some trials that have already had to be overcome, and how overall Mark's capacity for love has increased every day. 

Dave Maher has been interested in reading self-help lit since before he feels he'd even established a sense of self to help. Early interest in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The Bible started him down a road of reading about ways to improve his spiritual, mental, and creative health.

Arnie Niekamp wants you to watch television shows he likes, but he's apprehensive about blanket recommendations of inconsistent shows. Some of his favorite television is wrapped up in shows that have ups and downs (Fringe, Twin Peaks, X-Files...), and we all know how hard it is to get into a new show that starts slow AND how hard it is to turn one's back on an old favorite.

Mary-Kate and Moira might as well have some sort of blood oath as they are such sweet friends and cocreators, and it was a true joy to chat with them about why they feel drawn to vampire stories. From strong female blood suckers (Carmilla, Dracula's Daughter) to lamer lady vampire loves (I'm looking at you, Twilight), these two bad asses can't get enough of the exploration of what makes vampires, and in turn humans, tick.

Expect a good episode from Eileen Tull as we unpack why she gets wrapped up in anticipation of things like a new Star Wars film or a first date with a guy she met online. Rest assured she's already got [three separate sets of] tickets for The Force Awakens and plenty to talk about where Harrison Ford is concerned (that factors into the dating stuff, too).

Katie [Bell] and I get all witchy with it as we discuss her mad [eye] love of Harry Potter. We share a mutual favorite book (Goblet of Fire), which Katie tells me is the pivotal book of the series - the others mirror one another in themes and storylines (1 and 7, 2 and 6, 3 and 5). She learned this from an entire course on Harry Potter she got to take as a student at Columbia College. Dope. She also covers how the series taught her the importance of representation in media and conquering one's fears.

I could easily make a list of ways Joke Laughstein is a total bundle of giggles and joys, but I'd rather let him show you with his own bevy of lists. These lists, that he visits and maintains on at least a daily basis, run the gamut from ridiculous ideas to self betterment to consumption recommendations.

For Caitlin Costello, St. Patrick's Day has more significance than plastic hats and green beer. The holiday means corned beef and potato dishes with her huge family at her grandmother's house in Notre Dame, IN, and how she's managed to recreate that kind of community and celebration in Chicago. 

Meaghan Strickland spent every summer of her youth bouncing around from basketball camp to basketball camp due to her dad's position as a high school/college basketball coach. Her own journey as a player from childhood through her high school days was always colored by his insistence on mastering the fundamentals, so we pass stories back and forth of our summers: hers being bball camp-learned skills, mine being getting (mostly cross-) cast in numerous community theatre productions. We most certainly meandered topic-wise, but I cannot stress how much fun this was to record. Meaghan makes me laugh as easily as LeBron James makes a routine layup.

Alex Cox, Deputy Events Manager at Cards Against Humanity and cohost of the Roboism podcast, came on MBSing to talk of her love of all the little robots in her life. From R2D2 to Siri and an MIT robotics lab to Ex Machina, we cover a lot of AI and Sci-Fi robot ground all within a discussion of gender, feminism, and general altruism and humanity as it relates to robotics and the empathy that makes us humans. 

Time for some spooky scary movie talk with dear friend Lee Russell. Lee and I have taken the stage together in the Annoyance Theatre's send up of slasher movies, Splatter Theatre, for three years now, and in this ep we get to really break down the source material. From Nightmare on Elm Street to It Follows, Lee has grown up with horror films from a probably too early age and is willing to get into the why of his love for them. The emotions and drive behind these scary stories intrgue him more than the startles and blood, and he aspires to one day make a horror film of his own.

John Hartman's love of The Smiths was kindled in college but really seems to have reached its pinnacle in recent memory: John tells stories of finally catching a Morrissey show that wasn't cancelled, getting pranked by the MD at Second City who slipped a song from the morose, Manchester band into a show, and connecting with other huge fans of the band via comedy. 

Becca Brown has been attending concerts since she was five or six watching Carlos Santana with her father and realized that was an actual thing people could do for a living: be a performing rock musician. (Yes, she IS young enough that this was around the time of Santana's collaboration on "Smooth" with Rob Thomas, and yes we DO both unironically enjoy that song.) From here through more concerts (Elton John) and more exploring of strong women in rock (Janis Jopin), Becca solidified that she wanted performing and watching rock music to top her list of priorities. Her experience acting in School of Rock sealed the deal: she had "sold her soul" to rock.

Your friendly neighborhood Brandon Shockney swung by MBSing with some sweet Spider-Man knowledge in tow. From the uber '90s animated series to the current Ultimate Spider-Man comic series with Miles Morales to the next remounting of Spidey's story on the big screen, Brandon and I explore what it is about Spider-Man that makes him an accessible hero.

When TBox told me he planned to discuss gasoline, I was all, "whaaaaat?" Then he outlined his work history with various responsibilities at refineries and rigs, and I was all, "coooooool!" A couple science nerds get to break down the chain that creates gasoline and other products from crude oil and the work that goes into getting that "devil jizz" out of the ground. 

Brendan Dowling stopped by MBSing to weave tales of mystery and intrigue. We covered the books, television, and film he grew up with and continues to enjoy all in the vein of whodunits (The Westing Game, Marple, and Clue, to name a few), and I love the insight into what draws him to the genre and how it feeds into his life as a performer.

Stand up comedian MCAmy (AKA Ms Sumpta if ya nasty) joined me (for a second time...) to talk her love of everyone's favorite hip hop group featuring three Jewish dudes from NYC. After laying down the truth on how the Boys' gear change around '94 to clean up their lyrics turned her into a feminist, Amy breaks down the origins of her all-female Beastie Boys tribute band, She's Crafty. Yeah. You read that right, and it's the best.

Tim Swindle of Utter Nonsense stopped by for brunch talk, and we had the best time exploring our favorite things about everyone's favorite weekend meal. From preferences on how we like everything cooked to what we like to drink to how we like to socialize, we cover a lot of ground [coffee].

Jon Pernisek knows all things Wizard of Oz, and we had a delightful time talking a heap of silly adaptations of the book that mostly just rip off or repurpose the iconic 1939 film. While Jon has an appreciation for things like The Wiz, Return to Oz, and Wicked, he can also recognize when things are LAZY or BAD, so we have fun lambasting some projects that were probably doomed from the start.

Tyler Paterson is a more than a guy sharing an urban legend around a campfire. Though he and his family do enjoy this pastime, they're only telling stories of their own experiences. Tyler has experienced constant unsettling dreams and various unexplainable events with ghosts in his life, and as a result he has essentially academically studied ghosts, used his experiences as inspiration for multiple published novels, and kept a good humor about himself all along.

Rosie Moan was a sexy little baby. Wait. No. Um. Rosie discovered her own sexuality at a fairly young age and has never looked back. Fueled by curiosity and a slightly hippy, open upbringing, she has never had much of an issue removing the stigmas from sexual pleasure, partners, patterns, etc.

Chicago expat Katie Wadsworth has spent the last year in Dallas, Texas, living with her parents and girlfriend as she went to school to become an EMT to save money for a big move to LA. I had the best time Skyping with her as she covered what the year has been like back under her parents' roof, how she looks back on the time she spent in Chicago, and the anxieties and excitement of picking up and moving forward to LA.

Liz is SO WISE and full of great advice and the desire to listen and bestow advice. She's also totally willing to admit that some of that desire comes from a place of voyeurism, which is part of why she loves devouring advice columns. We chat about the idea that all advice is autobiographical, most of it is timeless, and a vast majority of good advice points out things you already knew about the situation but were not willing to face on your own.

Wyn Evans is more present, happy, and aware than he has probably ever been in his life, and he came on MBSing to share some of his relatively-newfound peace and understanding with me. Wyn found this "persistent nonsymbolic experience" through spirituality, meditation, and other exercises in The Finders Course on human well being, but the biggest takeaway here is loving yourself and knowing you deserve love and happiness.

We came to the studio to talk about her love of pizza, but Blair Beeken likes to tell it like it is. She confessed she considered talking about being honest, so we changed gears. Whether it's friends, improv teammates, family, dentists, or people who need to be told what everyone is thinking about what they post on Facebook, she prefers honesty to sugar coating. And after this conversation, I'm thinking it really is the best policy.

The ladies of The Perm (Amy Haeussler and Atra Asdou) love lil cuddly creatures almost as much as they love writing and performing excellent sketch shows. We cover pets, vets, zoos, and who's whos of their favorite animals and why they find themselves returning to their love of them as they produce comedy.

In West Chicago, born and raised, in front of a TV is where Mykele spent most of his days. He still finds plenty of time to devour television in between Chicago theatre and podcast appearances, though his focus has shifted from Pokemon, Good Times, and Blossom to shows like Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and The Following, and the medium itself has shifted from tuning in to Nick at Nite and watching whatever was airing to being able to have pretty much whatever show he wants available to him at pretty much any time.

Jo and I love food and chatting, so I think that makes us a regular ol' pair of Gilmore Girls. As far as I can gleen, anyway. I have never seen Gilmore Girls. But Jo has seen it all dozens of times and enjoys exploring its strengths and weaknesses (there's no way every person in Stars Hollow, CT, has that deep of a reference chamber in conversation, but it sure is fun to witness the writing anyway) as well as appreciating some of its biggest themes in her own life.

The Shit Hole is a renegade comedy space all about going hard until you get better and supporting one another along the way. Its creators/producers/heart (Zach Bartz, Kevin Gerrity, and Dan Wilcop) can't find the end of the list that compares these ideals to those of skateboarding.

I had never heard the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox referred to as The Idiots until right before recording with Sean, but after the chat, I can certainly say the name is fitting. A term of endearment for a bunch of lovable weirdos who somehow managed a series of miraculous occurrences after 80+ years of the Curse of the Bambino, the Idiots are surely worth chatting about as they were probably the most unlikely candidates to break the curse that had been in place since the Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

Oh Trin, you beautiful tropical fish. You’re smart as a whip, and you’re cool under pressure. You cunning, pliable, chestnut-haired sunfish. You poetic, noble land-mermaid. Thank you for joining [read: enabling] me to talk about Parks and Recreation in front of an audience of friends, past guests, and fellow contributors to this incredible live celebration of the first 100 episodes of MBSing.

The appropriately named Rachel Farmer lights up and chats with me on the porch about life below the Mason-Dixon Line. After spending most of her life in LA (Lower Alabama) and the past nine years in Chicago, she's recently relocated back to Mobile. We talk about all the ways family, Chik-fil-a, church, and life in general have gotten more complicated since our simpler Southern days.

Grab your Necronomicon and find a well-lit area because it's about to get allllll Lovecraftian on MBSing! Logan is a huge HPL aficionado to the extent that he's written an entire biographical play about him and descended into madness during the process (much like a Lovecraft protagonist!). If that doesn't get you onboard the 'craft, I don't know what will.

Trevor Martin is not a prankster. He's too afraid of the consequences. Nor is he someone who messes with strangers on the regular. He's too much of a "prissy boy" afraid of the retribution. But he does love creating small, devious misunderstandings among his friends and family.

Julie Marchiano is a hoot and a half, and we had a doggone good time talking 'dogs, 'za, and passions in this ep dedicated to Julie's love of encased meats. Julie has an interesting and hilarious relationship with hot dogs where comedy, her personality, and her own health are concerned, but we share that we've learned it's best to just embrace who and what you are, who and what you love, and let everything else fall into place.

Jay Sukow came by to drop some firsthand knowledge on the use of improvisation in film. Jay and his production company, Group Mind Films, have made multiple features using [mostly] written scripts in conjunction with excellent improvisers to lead into and out of scenes, find unique, hilarious moments in scenes, and even at times improvise entire exchanges.

Even though he's a transplant from the ATL, Charley fell in love with Chicago history somewhere between watching PBS and reading Devil in the White City in the mid aughts. He's been on countless architectural boat tours, taken architectural courses around and about the city for funsies, and was supposed to be a tour guide at some point, but got hired by some Kennedys... so... yeah he worked for Kennedys instead. 

2 friends. 1 mic. An hour and a half in a kitchen to cover all the fun ground of reality competition shows. Chris and I were up to the challenge, and I think we survived this amazing race. Listen to find out how Chris feels he has truly been shaped by reality shows since he started watching them at 13, which show he'd love to be on, and how we both think we'd respond to the pressure and strategy of these shows.

Oh hi Jude! Thanks for coming to do the show about your fascination with Tommy Wiseau's 2003 disaster The Room. This episode is a total blast and explores everything from what makes The Room so awful, how Wiseau may just be living his dream of Hollywood fame, and how much Jude has garnered joy, jokes, and absurdity from going to countless viewings of the film.

Josiah Jenkins is a FOR REAL lawyer while simultaneously being an improviser! And he came to talk some for real law talk with me. It makes me anxious to think about having to take such a definitive stance on things that don't have clear sides, so that coupled with the amount of time cases can take make me not envy the position Josiah enjoys and thrives in.

Shawn Boyle is a proud father of a two-year-old son, and this encapsulates pretty well his experience thus far. From coming around to wanting to have children at all to being with his wife during childbirth to watching his son experience eating a cookie for the first time, Shawn has a lot to share from his firsthand love of parenting.

At its heart, this is a podcast about love. So at some point this was bound to happen. Eric Braband is both my significant other and a huge fan of a little Maine-based band called Rustic Overtones. I got to learn about a band he loves and the larger effect that discovery had on his search for the things he loves in music, movies, and other aspects of culture, and I suppose you all will get a window into our relationship. FUNNNNN.

The host with the most coasts as MBS hosts and boasts! Kate tells me all about some of her favorite aspects of hosting people at her place. She can cook. She secretly cleans. She can kind of bake. She doesn't need a fucking Pinterest for creative ideas.

Have a seat and get ready to slap your knee: Tyler Langford is in the house (with his own banjo!) to weave some tales and tunes about his love of bluegrass, banjo, ragtime, etc. Mountain music! Man this is fun. Tyler tells me about his first band (he's a founding member of UCB!), demonstrates a few different ways to play the banjo (clawhammer being his method of choice), and has lots and lots of favorite artists to share insight on.

Paul could probably start a country music career of his own inspired by tales of various and sundry "rooms" and roommates from his five years spent in Eugene, Oregon, before landing back in his home state of Illinois. He prefers telling the stories through the lens of Garth Brooks songs, and we have a wonderful time singing the megastar's classic lyrics in between Paul's memories of living with bandmates, rats, and the cougar-esque manager of the coffee shop he worked at (look into the song That Summer for more details on their relationship). 

Dear friend and bibliophile Chris Crotwell sat down with me to chat freely and at any volume we chose about his home away from home, libraries. Chris happens to be a librarian with a Master's of Library Science, so he's not just a card-carrying member. He has a ton of first-hand library experience from the other side of the circ desk, and he is even a part of a new teen program being instated at public libraries all over Chicago.

Have some relaxing #chilltime with Mike and I as he tells me all about his deep love of the enigma that chillin' can be. It can't always be planned. It doesn't always have to be alone. It's best done with one wall of the room being replaced by a giant aquarium.

Becca Slack settled on chatting with me about the 'burbs after she realized the nexus of a lot of her interests (going to the mall, chain restaurants, etc) was living most of her life in towns just outside NYC and Denver.

Twas the night before Christmas/ And all through the ‘net, MBS posts a podcast: She didn’t forget.

Kyle Talley came over/ With his luscious beard hairs. His love of St. Nicholas/ Soon will be shared.

When your family is nestled/ All snug in their beds, Tune into this episode/ With earbuds in your head.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and Steve Nelson chose the one that led to us having an awesome conversation about his love of reading, listening to, and writing poetry. We discuss the way his love of the art form kind of snuck up on him, the frequent use of poetry in film, and the variety of ways one finds inspiration for writing.

Danny Groh is about to PowerSlam his journey from being a misbegotten salesman in Wisconsin to leaving the Chicago improv community behind for the creative allures of The Big Apple RIGHT into your earholes. He's warm, enthusiastic, and an absolute powerhouse on stage and as an MBSing guest, and I'm excited to share this man's experience in the community I'm a part of with the listeners.

Mike Lara was hard-hitting as we discussed his days as a high school football player and his continued fandom of the Denver Broncos. We cover the highs and lows of making it to things like Super Bowls and state championships only to have the posibility of your hopes being crushed even if you worked hard to get there.

Mantas! You want the moon, Mantas? I can't give you the moon, Mantas, but I can give you the opportunity to chat with me about your favorite actor, James "Jimmy" Stewart. Everyman. Classic talent. Inspiration! 

Bill Green for president 2016! That's how great this episode is! I promise we don't just gab on about each individual issue, Bill tells some wonderful first-hand accounts of being inspired to change his major [and the world!], working on a presidential campaign, and continuing to be on the front lines politically as the employee of a nonprofit organization with a grant for implementing ObamaCare.

Bryan Duff? More like Bryan BUFF because this guy is a well-oiled machine of nutrition facts and practices. He's not here to get preachy or make anybody feel guilty, he just has a genuine interest and passion in the fuel that makes our bodies tick in the healthiest, most efficient way.

Cynthia is the sweetest gal on the block, so it was no surprise she wanted to chat about fun children's books with me. From her days as an actual child to her daytime nanny gig, she's run the gamut of being into good stories and good characters and good fun in books for kids.

Three times the guests produced three times the fun with the wonderful ladies of Pony Patrol (Michelle Davey, Sarah Porter, and Charly Williams) telling me sPoOkY, firsthand tales of the paranormal. They all met in my home state of South Carolina, they all have at least one encounter with the paranormal, and they all got into trying to figure out what was up in their brain/the cosmos during the experience they had.

Becca Taubel is full to the brim of Saved by the Bell knowledge, and I could not wait to entice as much of it out of her as possible. She confesses to have been a fan of pretty much every high-school-set TV show of the era (90210, Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, etc), but SBTB was easily her crowning jewel.

Stephanie Corkery is my very best friend. After attending college with her for three years and living with her for two, I may very well be the person who has heard her talk about poop more than anyone else. We decided to share this gift with the world.
 

Fellow podcaster Mel Evans drops by MBSing for some October-appropriate scary killer talk! She is as delightful as she is knowledgeable about women who have committed murders. From Lizzie Borden to Snapped, we cover a lot of killer ground and have a total blast along the way.

Marie Maloney can tell you more about Jackie O than most people can tell you about themselves. This chat was a total blast [from the past] and a uniquely historical MBSing. Listen to me struggle to keep up as my historical knowledge specifically politically is feeble at best. But I did manage to recommend some great Kennedy-related pop culture recommendations.

Stand up comedian/podcaster/documentarian Graham Elwood joins me for an excellent MBSing exploring one of his favorite film genres, crime and mob movies. Upon moving from Madison, Wisconsin, to Evanston, Illinois, when he was 11, Graham garnered a unique perspective on the films as he watched mobsters and crooked cops rule the streets both on his family's newly-acquired color TV and in his new hometown of Chicago.

Nate Bechtel has been everywhere, man. Well, he's at least lived and traveled abroad quite a bit over the course of his life. His dad works for the US State Department, thus he often lives overseas and had his family overseas (specifically in Athens, Munich, and Vienna) for months at a time in Nate's life. He has a unique perspective on life in the US as a result and shares with me many of his favorite stories and impressions of life overseas.

Oh man. What a doozy. Dora is very new to battling the possibility of alcoholism, and when I asked what she wanted to talk to me about, that's what she said. So I acquiesced. Because who am I to say no to an interesting, heartfelt, and at times difficult conversation. Dora and I also made a decent attempt at keeping it light while we delved into her realization within the last month that she needed to make a serious change in her life where drinking is concerned. 

Enjoy the joy that is Ben Larrison in this week's episode wherein he expounds upon all things he loves, strives towards, and pursues where happiness is concerned. Yeah, we all like happiness. Duh. But Ben has a special brand of interest in producing happiness in himself and others whenever possible and in the most playful of ways.

Stephen Kropa is a big fanboy for two artisans (directors/writers/show runners/comedians...) who would probably consider themselves fanboys as well, Dan Harmon and Edgar Wright. Their bevy of pop culture influences on their own projects is a constant comfort and inspiration for Kropa, and I can't find any room to disagree with him on the ways they are similar creators when it comes to the blending of homages and nods with their own unique, very specific voices and visions as artists.

Dive in to this episode with the indomitable Erin Lann for tons of ocean chat! We delve into her three favorite animals of all time (all sea beasts), and eventually meander into some deeper philosophical territories like bio-dome conservation and world politics. Erin gets into some deep cut ocean animal facts, and it was a true joy to learn from her.

I'm pretty ashamed of myself for never having seen Joss Whedon's beloved, taken-before-its-time sci-fi series, and dear Allison only heightened my shame with her excellent weaving of thoughts and feelings on this series and many other Whedon properties. We explore themes ranging from dealing with grief to accepting your inner nerd-dom all via Whedon's 14-episode work (plus some Serenity talk).

Sean Kelley is super into a lot of things because he's a super knowledgeable dude and fan, but he's especially super into the superheroes that make up the X-Men. He's been on board since X-Men #1 came out in 1991 (the best-selling comic book of all time!) and has been ravenously consuming the comics since then. Thus, of course, he has some stellar thoughts about what has worked and what hasn't in the film adaptations of said comics (and some other Marvel and non-Marvel properties just as some fun, relevant tangents).

Andy Junk may have mad love for the Caped Crusader, but he is far from a Dark Knight. Brimming with kindness and enthusiasm, Andy covered all eras and all mediums of Batman fandom (comics, films, live action and animated TV series, video games, collectables... the works). There were no stones left unturned in this delightful romp through the bat cave.

Fellow member of the Nerdologues Joe Gennaro sits down with me to tap some lands and cast some spells as we weave tales about the incredibly popular deck-building card game Magic: The Gathering. I learn what WUBRG means, how awesome a God pack is, and a bunch of other nerdy fun things along the way (this game has the possibility of creating an infinite number of squirrels....).

Nick Hassebrock was mesmerised by David Copperfield from the first time he saw one of his specials at six years old and has loved and been inspired by him ever since. It wasn't just about the illusions, it was the whole package; from lighting to music to showmanship, Nick points out that Copperfield is truly at the top of his field and helps magic seem less "dorky."

Molly Jones is the happiest of campers. She's always rallying the troops and weaving tales on and off stage. It’s no surprise that she wanted to talk to me about her love of summer camp. She still counts her summers as a camper (and later counselor) at Camp Laurel South as some of her greatest times.

Sarah Shockey is warm, funny, and passionate in general, but when it comes to her love of Princess Tutu, all those traits are simply intensified. Anime fans can rejoice in this episode topic's slight obscurity, but everyone can appreciate how much fun we have as she explains the ins and outs of this wonderful little show.

Put down your cleats and sit inside for a while to get into this sporty sports time ep of MBSing with Matt Kidd! Matt's a software engineer by day, so he's no normal brute, he just super loves sports from track to volleyball to that game you made up in high school at the lunch table.

It's time to start the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to listen to this hot off the presses episode of MBSing with my guest Sean Price who lovably gets into his fandom of the always lovable Muppets!

Chicago's sweetheart Katie Johnston-Smith makes a splash on MBSing by talking America's sweetheart, Tom Hanks. Seriously, who doesn't like that guy? Nobody. But I don't know anyone who likes him as much as KJS.