Let’s Get Serious with The Seedy Seeds 2012!

The Seedy Seeds return to Let’s Get Serious and Chicago for a show on January 22, 2012 at Reggie’s Music Joint. I interviewed The Seedy Seeds on Episode 11 almost a year ago but along with the passage of time comes change, including the introduction of a new member, drummer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Frankl. I try to unravel

Let’s Get Serious with Cameron Esposito

Let’s Get Serious is one year old! The first podcast episode went live on November 22, 2011. That’s a lot of talking. 26 Episodes later I’m joined by comedian Cameron Esposito. We discuss her show, Side Mullet Nation, what it’s like to host an open mike and her ringmaster duties with El Circo Cheapo. Thanks to everyone

Let’s Get Serious: Musical of the Living Dead

The fall season is upon us and with it comes annual traditions, old and new. On October 13 Musical of the Living Dead will return (from the uh, grave?) for four weeks of bloody, bloody musical theatre at the Charnel House in Chicago. I sat down with co-creators Marc Lewallen and Brad Younts to discuss their

Let’s Get Serious with Shawn Smith

After a bit of a summer break, the podcast is back and better than ever with guest Shawn Smith, creator of Ninjatown and Shawnimals—a character design studio in Chicago founded by Smith and his wife, Jen Brody. We discuss Smith’s game magazine and art school background, Renegade Craft Fair, Wee Ninjas and the wildly addictive

Let’s Get Serious with Steve Mazan

Dying to Do Letterman is a feature-length documentary that chronicles comedian Steve Mazan’s quest to perform stand-up on Late Show with David Letterman after being diagnosed with cancer in 2005. The film screened on June 17 as part of the TBS Just for Laughs Chicago comedy festival and will be screening again this Thursday, June 30, 2011

Let’s Get Serious with Beth Stelling

Chicagoans will have a couple of opportunities to see Beth Stelling perform stand-up during this week’s TBS Just for Laughs comedy festival. She’s performing at the opening night Secret Big-Time Local Comedy Showcase and at Wednesday and Thursday night New Faces of Chicago shows. Beth was named “Best Stand-Up Comedian” by the Chicago Reader in

Let’s Get Serious with Carisa & Kevin

Carisa and Kevin are a sketch comedy and improv performing couple of live-together lovers. They’ve both performed with The Second City’s Boat Co on Norwegian Cruise Lines and are immersed in so many comedy-related activities in Chicago that we talked for close to two hours. We discuss hunting the most dangerous game, dramatic juggling and

Let’s Get Serious with Matt Mooney

Matt Mooney joins me to reminisce about the Koala Fires and dispel rumors about the band’s demise. We listen to a new Koala Fires demo, Matt plays a couple of acoustic songs and we go a little crazy discussing The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, what the heck a Norn is and other

Let’s Get Serious with Mandy Whitenack

Off Off Broadzway perform “almost sexy sketch comedy” that’s sort of a musical parody of burlesque. They have a new run of shows coming up at Stage 773 so I sat down with Mandy Whitenack to discuss her character, Ricki Dickyouless. She tells me about eating dirt as a baby, Indiana’s Pizza King, Flat Top Grill

Let’s Get Serious with Chris Agos

This week I interviewed Chris Agos, author of Acting In Chicago: Making A Living Doing Commercials, Voice Over, TV/Film And More. Agos makes his living as an actor in Chicago and his book contains lots of valuable info for anyone who has similar ambitions. I ask him if he’s crazy and we discuss what makes Chicago a great