Shows
Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 205: Shawn Setaro (Journalist/Musician)I'm excited to bring you the latest episode of Detoxpod-featuring my chat with musician and journalist Shawn Setaro. Shawn is a journalist who currently works for Complex as a court reporter. He authored a book on the Tekashi Six Nine case, and most recently covered the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial. Shawn helps me unpack some of my disillusionment with hip-hop in recent years, but in addition to playing the role of my therapist, we chat about his musician background and quiet retirement from that field, we talk about what drove him into journalism. We also talk about embracing his...
2025-09-031h 07Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 196: Greg Burmeister (Producer/Actor/Podcast Host)I recorded this interview with Greg Burmeister back in October. Because of everything that happened at the beginning of November (you know what I'm talking about), I put this one on the shelf for a while before coming back to it and remembering how good a conversation it was. Greg co-hosts the podcast "Talking Schmidt", which I was lucky enough to appear on last fall. He is also the second (at least) DetoxPod guest to have worked with (for?) the legend David Letterman. Greg and I chat about moving from Minnesota to New York City, a near-death experience that...
2025-05-0753 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 195: Tom Gentry (Coach/Counselor)Hope you are doing as well as can be given current times. Remember, we are stronger together! Community remains of utmost importance!
I'm excited to bring you my conversation with Tom Gentry. Tom is not only a treasured friend, but he's a counselor specializing in addiction. He's also a passionate advocate for progressive masculinity, which makes him a perfect fit for Detoxpod! Tom and I chat about his own experience as an addict and what drove him to recovery. We talk about familial cycles and how the things we learn growing up can affect us without even...
2025-04-231h 05Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 194: Rodney McCoy AKA Daddy Rod (Activist/Podcaster)Hi Friends!
Happy to bring you the latest episode, starring Rodney McCoy AKA Daddy Rod. Rod's appearance (I'm pretty sure) marks the first instance of a romantic couple appearing in back to back episodes, as he is the partner of 2x DetoxPod guest Damon Jacobs.
Like Damon, Rodney is an activist for sexual health. But he has a story all his own. Rod and I connect over our shared Brooklyn upbringing, and the unique local pride that stays with you even when you move away. Rod also shares his coming out story, tying it in...
2025-04-091h 12Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 137 : Ahmad Jooma (Artist/Creator)Hi Folks!
this episode features coach & creator Ahmad Jooma, who I believe is my first guest from the UK! One of Ahmad's missions is to help young people conquer fear by using art, and one of the ways he does so is via his character "Shook Man". He and I chat about the origins of this character, as well as his own journey to self-confidence. You'll hear a lot of very familiar Detoxpod buzzwords like "authenticity" and "vulnerability". Why? Because those qualities are fucking important (as overused as that terminology is getting).
Enjoy the episode.
2023-03-0849 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 136 : Larry Jaffee (Journalist/Author)This episode finds me chatting with Larry Jaffee, who started and runs an initiative called Making Vinyl, which focuses on the manufacturing and upkeep of vinyl production in the music industry. Larry also wrote a book called Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century, about the re-emergence of vinyl records over the course of the last fifteen years or so (something I, as a major music nerd, have been keeping a keen eye on).
Larry goes deep for this one. We discuss their growing up in the racially fraught Sixties, busing and being...
2023-02-2249 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 135 : Sean McNamara (Musician)Hey Everyone, this week's episode is a chat with musician (and my former co-worker) Sean McNamara. Sean and I talk about culture shock (he grew up in suburban Connecticut and went to college in New Orleans), grief and loss (his mother passed away when he was in his early twenties), dad rock (Sean is a white guy in his early thirties--i feel like that demo splits into three camps: hip-hop fan, Wilco fan, and redneck bro-country fan), therapy, anxiety and more.
Find Sean on Twitter at @listentoseanmc
Find Sean on IG at @seanmcmusic
2023-02-1554 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 134 : YAWNYBLEW(Songwriter/Musician)Johnny Gonzalez is an L.A. based/NYC born multi-disciplinary artist. He is Grammy nominated for his work with H.E.R. and currently co-hosts a podcast called "BIIGGER Than Our Dreams", based on his experiences being a plus-sized queer POC artist. I was fortunate to guest on an episode a few months back.
Johnny and I talk about the masculine/feminine dynamic in queer culture and "signaling"/stereotypes. We, of course, dive deep into intersectional identities and feelings of belonging, finding out what it takes to become comfortable in your own skin. It's a really good...
2023-02-0848 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 133 : Benny Benack III (Musician)Benny Benack III is a trumpeter and jazz/standards vocalist originally from Pittsburgh PA and now making his home in Harlem, NYC. He's built up quite a following over the years, and has a new album scheduled to be released this spring.
Benny takes us through his childhood, where he almost seemed pre-ordained to be a musician (most of his family works somewhere in music). We talk about jazz's reputation as kind of a stick in the mud genre and what he's doing to keep things relevant to younger folks. We also talk about the brutal schedule...
2023-02-0148 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 132 : Adam Bernard (Journalist/Cancer Survivor)This week's episode features someone who does interviews for a living, journalist Adam Bernard. Adam and I met many years ago when I was doing the PR thing professionally and reaching out to music bloggers. His Adam's World blog is still very much active. He's one of the Last of the Mohicans when it comes to music bloggers.
More germane to this interview is the fact that Adam is a testicular cancer survivor. He and I discuss his journey through discovery/diagnosis and remission/recovery. It's a fascinating story and also really underscores the fact that we...
2023-01-2559 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 131: Orie Givens IV (Journalist/Reporter)In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking to one of my favorite human beings, Orie Givens IV. Orie is the director of communications for an LGBTQIA+-related non profit and I originally befriended him because of his work as a producer and host of the radio show Queer State of Mind, which airs every Saturday on Radio Free Brooklyn from 12-2 PM Eastern. Orie has had a long career in broadcast journalism, having served as a reporter for Spectrum News here in New York and in his home state of Ohio and as a writer for the...
2023-01-181h 00Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 130 : Mike Guichet (Psychotherapist)My intention wasn’t to post two episodes dealing with sex and relationship therapy back to back, but…here we are. Mike Guichet is a psychotherapist specializing in sex therapy. He’s based in Northern California, which appears to have a booming need for practitioners! Mike and I met five or six years ago at a conference in Toronto, and our conversation covers not only why he does what he does for a living, but how his career has helped with his own personal development and exploration. Aside from his career, Mike is a devoted parent, and he speaks passio...
2023-01-1146 min
Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 129 : James Ferrigno (Dating/Relationship Coach) James Ferrigno is a dating and relationship coach based in the San Francisco area. His practice is largely centered around authenticity, which sadly isn’t something that gets touted as leading to success in the dating world. I do a bit of digging into what led James to this work, as he has a pretty rich background that precludes his career as a coach. From there, we really focus on connection and why men in particular seem to have so much trouble in that realm. James offers a bit of important insight into how to create and sustain connections, an...
2023-01-0457 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 128 : John Hill (Writer/Bodybuilder)
I met John Hill it must have been a decade ago through the magic of social media. John ran a blog called Pop Music Notes and as a music blogger myself, we connected pretty quickly.
A lot can change in a decade or so, and while music has changed and our relationships to social media have changed, John and I have stayed in touch. While our conversation for Detoxicity begins and ends with discussions about music and some of the idols and icons we love, the meat of this conversation covers topics you'd be much more accustomed to on this...
2022-12-0754 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 127 : Julian Velard (Singer/Songwriter) Take 2!Three years is a lot of time (although I'm still attempting to process the fact that this podcast has been an ongoing concern for almost that amount of time). Lives can change dramatically in that time span, and that is the case with the person I'm interviewing, singer/songwriter Julian Velard. Since he and I last spoke for the pod (Episode 30), Julian and his family have pulled stakes and moved twice; first to St. Louis, then to Los Angeles. Julian invested in a piano bar that he then had to back out of, and he also developed vocal nodes...
2022-11-3053 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 126: Jack McDonald (Journalist/Comedian)Happy early Thanksgiving. I hope you're all set to spend a few days with loved ones.
Sorry there wasn't an episode last week. The recording I planned to use had some massive audio Gremlins, which is disappointing because I thought it was a really good conversation.
Anyway, this week's episode features an interview with journalist and comedian Jack McDonald. Most of our conversation centers around Jack's recent divorce and his subsequent move back to his hometown of Chicago. Jack's definitely still working through some stuff related to the dissolution of his relationship, but he's got...
2022-11-2358 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 125 : Chad Dryden (Business Owner/Journalist)In this episode, I'm talking to Chad Dryden, who is the co-owner of The Record Exchange, an independent record shop in Boise, ID. Our conversation covers quite a bit, from transitioning into ownership to the fact that Chad and his family actually moved to Ohio from Boise during the pandemic, which puts something of a challenge into owning a business. We also talk about taking care of your mind and body as you age, and what middle age means in 2022 vs. what it meant for our parents and grandparents. Chad is not only physically active in a way that...
2022-11-1050 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 124 : Clay Fernald AKA Clay N Ferno (Marketer/Podcast Host)This episode's guest, Clay Fernald (AKA Clay N Ferno), was voted the Most Popular Man in Boston back in 2005, thanks to MySpace (those were the days, huh?) In those days, Clay did marketing and promo for The Middle East, one of Boston's most legendary concert venues (I've maybe seen 100 shows there). These days, Clay does his own thing: he's an independent contractor, he hosts a podcast, has a Substack, and he talks about all of that during our conversation. It covers workaholism and grind culture, and knowing when to take a break! Clay also talks through his journey to...
2022-11-0258 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 123 : Roman RimerRoman Rimer is an actor, improv performer, radio host and activist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this episode, Roman and I discuss activism and allyship in various communities. We discuss the gentrification of San Francisco and how he tries to stay true to the city's original spirit of being a place for those who often exist on the margins of society. Roman also charts his course as a transmasculine person, from coming to terms with this knowledge to handling the reactions of friends and family. I hope you enjoy this conversation!
2022-10-2656 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 122 : Dan Wilson (Songwriter/Musician)Dan Wilson is a Grammy-Award winning musician and songwriter who has scored hits as a member of the band Semisonic ("Closing Time"), as a solo artist (his EP Dancing on the Moon was released earlier this month), and as a collaborative songwriter with Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, John Legend and more.
Dan and I discuss his history of collaboration and dig deep into what makes him such a good partner and band member. We talk about his upbringing and what led him down a musical path, and we also discuss the themes of his new E...
2022-10-1948 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 121 : Cornell Verdeja-Woodson (DE&I Specialist) Round 2I'm super stoked to be bringing Cornell Verdeja-Woodson back to the podcast. Cornell is the head of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the meditation app "Headspace" (I've used it, it's great) and also runs Brave Trainings, LLC, an organization that provides a starting point for organizations to unpack sensitive diversity topics through authentic dialogue.
Cornell and I discuss his journey over the last year and a half, and his goals for the future. We talk the future of DE&I, the self-care that's involved with handling such weighty topics on a regular basis, parental relationships, coming...
2022-10-0556 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod Bonus: Bill Bodkin Returns!Bill Bodkin originally appeared on Detox back on Episode 33. He is the founder and editor in chief of The Pop Break (a pop culture website) and hosts so many podcasts that even my workaholic ass had to take my hat off and bow in his honor.
We revisit many of the themes from our original chat in this episode, including coping with COVID-19 as an immunocompromised person and struggling with self-doubt as a worker, a spouse and a parent. We also talk about the pitfalls of modern doctors, Bill discusses his newfound abstinence from alcohol.
B...
2022-10-0355 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 120 : Colby Smith (Writer/Comedian)My guest for this episode of Detoxicity is comedian and writer Colby Smith. Colby and I began our acquaintance about six years ago while debuting our respective Radio Free Brooklyn shows. He has moved on to co hosting the podcast "Honey Baby Sweetie Love", which takes a humorous look at online dating.
Our conversation touches on our radio experiences, but Colby also details the course that led him from semi-rural beginnings to New York City. He speaks poignantly on friendships and the frustration he’s often faced attempting to advocate for himself. On a lighter note, we also touc...
2022-09-2851 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 119 : Ty McKinnie (Singer/Musician)Ty McKinnie grew up in suburban Atlanta and moved to NYC for grad school. He is a multi-faceted creative; singing, acting, doing theater and aspiring to produce and direct films. In our conversation, Ty shares the long road to self-acceptance as a gay Black man brought up in the American South in an environment that was not immediately supportive. He talks about the people who paved the way for his coming out, shares a meaningful conversation that he had with an ailing relative, and goes deep into his post-COVID agoraphobia. I hope you all enjoy listening to this conversation...
2022-09-141h 13Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 118: Billy Mack (Musician/Dad/Business Owner)In this episode, I'm talking to Billy Mack, a musician and stay at home Dad based in Pennsylvania. Billy writes "happy songs about being uncomfortable" and we spend a lot of time discussing his emotions in various contexts. We talk about touring the country as an independent artist, and the highs and lows that come with it. The conversation covers child-rearing, traditional gender roles, therapy, antidepressants, and much much more. I hope you enjoy!
2022-09-0759 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 117 : David Schulze (Co-Founder, Poly Camp NE)I met David Schulze at Swingset Takes Desire! last year and we hit it off immediately. David and his partner Laura run an event called Poly Camp NE, which brings together polyamorous and lifestyle-adjacent people for a long weekend of activities, community and fun in the mountains of New Hampshire. During our chat, which was recorded maybe a week before the 2022 edition of Poly Camp happened, David and I talked about his evolution through non-traditional relationship structures, his experiences with diversity growing up in white-ass Maine (my words, not his), and his desire to rid himself of ingrained toxicity--something...
2022-08-3153 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 116 : Nabil Ayers (Memoirist/Entrepreneur)Nabil Ayers is the president of Beggars Group, a family of independent record labels, and has worked in or around music his entire life. This shouldn't be surprising when you consider his mother was a dancer and his father is legendary jazz and R&B musician Roy Ayers. Earlier this year, Nabil published a memoir entitled "My Life in the Sunshine", which explores his history and that of his family. He and I chat about his upbringing, and the bigger issues of identity and culture that pop up because of that. We also discuss entrepreneurship, representation, and the thin...
2022-08-2552 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 115 : Jarret Berenstein (Comedian/Writer)Jarret Berenstein is a writer and comedian best known for pointed political satire. I met him when we were both on Radio Free Brooklyn. If you're interested in offbeat improvisational comedy, his show Famous Dead People might be your jam. Whenever I interview comedians, I wonder what the impetus was for them to decide they wanted to be funny as a profession, and Jarret discusses that during our conversation, in addition to how his more confrontational commentary goes over in environments that may not be as friendly to his politics.
Jarret and I go deep i...
2022-08-1756 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 114 : Zander Masser (Author/Occupational Therapist)Zander Masser is an occupational therapist based in Montreal. He recently released a book called "Unburying My Father", which contains narrative text designed to thread the needle to photographs taken by his father Randy, who contracted HIV via tainted blood and passed away from AIDS-related complications in 2000. Zander speaks eloquently about grief and how putting together this book was a healing balm for him. He also speaks about the value of his friends and family, who supported him throughout what was clearly a difficult project to put together, and he connects the dots between his loss and grief and...
2022-08-1054 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 113 : Alex Marcus (Behavioral Therapist/Podcast Editor)Alex Marcus, by day, is a behavioral therapist working with autistic children. By night, he is building an empire as the podcasts editor for the pop culture website thepopbreak.com. Our conversation covers divorce and being the "man of the house" at an early age, and why Alex's fractured sense of family led him to his current career. We also talk Alex's life with a debilitating bone disorder and the bullying that illness caused him, and we revisit Alex's brave coming out process and how his queerness informs the life he lives today.
You can find Alex...
2022-08-0358 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 112 : Lenny Schwartz (Playwright/Filmmaker)In this episode, I talk to Lenny Schwartz. Lenny is a playwright and filmmaker based in the tiny town of Scituate, Rhode Island. He came into the world of theater by accident, but now has a lot of opinions about film in general and about the art he makes specifically. Lenny also discusses growing up socially awkward and developing a debilitating case of body dysmorphia as a teenager. We also discuss the many different types of people his life in the arts has exposed him to, and his not-so-secret (well, definitely not secret anymore) other life as a model.
2022-07-2742 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 111 : Noam Osband (”The Nosy Anthropologist)”Proud to bring you Episode 111, which is kind of a wild one. I talk to filmmaker & musician (and "The Nosy Anthropologist) Noam Osband about his extreme interest in getting to know people, raising his kids in San Francisco, navigating his youth in an Orthodox Jewish community, and more.
You can find Noam on IG and Twitter at @noamosband, or hear some of his (admittedly quite creative) songs/see some of his film work at noamosband.com!
2022-07-2055 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 110 : Sean Zearfoss (Musician)Sean Zearfoss is an educator and musician (drummer in the band Small Reactions), based in the Atlanta, GA area. Our conversation covers the diversity of the South and his pride for his hometown. We talk about his experiences in the Scouts, what led him to therapy, his late start in music, and the advice he learned from Evel Knievel.
Follow Sean on IG: @seanzearfoss
Follow Sean's band on IG: @smallreactions
2022-07-1449 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 109 : Luke Wesley (Musician)Brooklynite (by way of Ohio) Luke Wesley made the decision to become a musician after deciding a life in the clergy probably wasn't the life he wanted after all. You'll hear about that fateful career switch and more during our conversation. Luke discusses his Midwestern upbringing as one of six (!!) boys, he talks about the skills he's acquired as a New York City bartender, waxes poetic about his love for gatherings, and goes deep about his lifelong battle with depression.
Get to know Luke better after this podcast by following him on IG and Twitter at @lukewesleymusic, o...
2022-07-061h 18Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 108 : Relationship Round Table IIAbout a year ago, I got together with relationship experts Kevin Patterson, Dylan Thomas and Ryan "Prof" Bentham to discuss "coming out of the pandemic", and how we'd adjusted our relationship styles and practiced self-care during a trying period. Little did we know that twelve months later, we'd still be navigating our way through things. In addition to discussing the changes that have occurred in the way we interact with potential new partners and maintain relationships with our old one, this panel discusses parenting and how two years of limited social mobility has changed or affected the way we...
2022-06-291h 09Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 107 : Patrick Brown (Record Store Owner)In this episode, we're traveling out to Denver Colorado to talk to Patrick Brown, who is the newly-minted owner of Twist and Shout, the Mile High City's #1 independent record store. Patrick and I talk about the thrills and hard work that come with being a brand new business owner, and what management tactics he's learned over the years. We travel back in time to Patrick's time at NYU film school and find out how he became obsessed with media. We also talk about how Patrick's queerness informed his life and how he tries to create safe spaces in every environment...
2022-06-221h 00Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 106: Benjamin Wagner (Consultant/Musician/Filmmaker)Benjamin Wagner is the founder of a consulting firm called Essential Industries Inc, but that's not all he does or has done. Over the course of his life, Benjamin has worn the hats of journalism, musician and filmmaker, co-creating the PBS documentary "Mister Rogers & Me". He hosts a podcast called "Friends & Neighbors". Friends & Neighbors is a show fundamentally about empathy, listening to the stories of others' life experiences. It shares quite a bit ideologically with this podcast. So, there's no coincidence that I was a guest on Friends & Neighbors just a week ago. Benjamin was more than happy to return the...
2022-06-151h 07Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 105 : Christian Finnegan (Actor/Writer)You might know Christian Finnegan from his stand up, or from his role on the series Are We There Yet, or from VH-1's Best Week Ever, or from the infamous Chappelle's Show Mad Real World sketch. What you might not know is that Christian fell into comedy almost by accident, or that he lost both of his brothers and his mother to heart problems, or that he had heart surgery himself just about a year ago. Or that he's parlayed his lifelong love of music into a weekly newsletter called New Music for Olds that you should definitely subs...
2022-06-081h 02Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 104 : Sean Wolcott (Tech Professional/Musician)Sean Wolcott is a technology professional and musician based in Arizona. He is the product of a blended family, and is also now a member of a blended family himself. He and I speak about the circumstances that led to both of those situations, and how having a stepdad of a different race cemented his progressive worldview. Sean discusses his parenting strategy, raising three young men, and fills us in on how to get along in his conservative home state. We also get a glimpse into what it's like as a performer, from being young and hopeful and trying...
2022-05-2753 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 103 : Mike Duquette (Writer)Mike Duquette (Instagram) is the founder of the music reissue website The Second Disc and is also a music industry and culture journalism veteran. Full disclosure, Mike is also one of my best friends, and a big component of this episode is the up and down (mostly up) arc of our relationship. Mike talks about being a sheltered young person and growing into his self-awareness. He gives major props to those who have helped and are continuing to help him along his journey, from a high school teacher who gave him an appreciation for being different, to his wife...
2022-05-181h 05Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 102 : Michael Fortes (Writer)This episode's interviewee is Michael Fortes.
Michael is a writer/culture journalist, admin professional, and a collector of physical media (he has 8-tracks, y'all!) Michael and I met years ago while writing for Popdose. Our conversation covers Michael's love of his home in the melting pot that is the Bay Area. It covers a somewhat challenging childhood in New England where he endured bullying and confusion due to his somewhat inscrutable ethnic identity. We talk about his love of all things media, and we discuss his difficulty in romantic relationships through the years and he offers some...
2022-05-111h 17Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 101 : Dom DiMaria (Musician/NYC Housing Employee)This episode finds me talking to Dom DiMaria, an NYC musician who, by day, helps house New York City's homeless population. Those are two professions you don't often find side by side, and Dom talks about the ups and the downs of working for the public, which includes a previous life as a street canvasser. We also talk about Dom's suburban Catholic upbringing, and what it takes to carve out one's own identity independent of the family unit. Dom gives some advice on dealing with relatives you don't see eye to eye politically with, and also, as Detoxpod's first...
2022-05-0558 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 100 : Garrett Gonzales (GG) (2nd Round)Garrett Gonzales was the second guest on Detoxicity, and he returns for the milestone Episode 100. Garrett is an entrepreneur, a husband, a dad, and runs Fight Game Media, which produces content (including podcasts) related to boxing, MMA and wrestling (with other sports and pop culture occasionally sprinkled in). He's been a friend of mine for 20 years, and we have a lot of history to draw on during our conversation. We talk about hitting middle age and the things we've learned over the course of our friendship. We talk about GG's second time around with kids-this time as a stepparent...
2022-04-271h 03Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 99 :Jared Pease (Musician/Educator)Jared Pease is a musician and a music teacher, originally from Richmond Virginia, now based in New York City. Our conversation covers quite a bit, personally and professionally--from Jared's ongoing journey as an adoptee to watching a close family member suffer with addiction issues. We also talk about the perception of whether being a musician is a "real job" and discuss stress relief through playing the drums. I'm very happy to bring you my conversation with Jared, and I hope you enjoy.
2022-04-201h 06Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 98: Tom Tenney (Educator/Co-Founder of Radio Free Brooklyn)Tom Tenney is the co-founder and executive director of Radio Free Brooklyn. He is also an actor, a community organizer, and a professor. In our episode, Tom discusses his bipolar diagnosis and how treatment has changed his life. He talks about growing up as kind of an outcast as a punk kid and a theater kid in conservative early '80s Catholic Massachusetts and how that shaped his worldview. Tom is gifted with candor and a level of honesty that makes him a great fit for Detoxicity.
2022-03-2349 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 97 : Michael LoBue (Touring Professional/Musician)Michael LoBue is a veteran musician and touring professional. Currently, he's on the road with veteran rock band Little Feat. I met Michael through a support group for music industry employees (shout out to my friends at Backline), and not only did we have an instant connection, we quickly realized we lived barely a mile from one another in Brooklyn. He was an early candidate for a Detox episode, but we spent so much time actually becoming friends that recording an episode kept getting pushed aside--till now.
The COVID-19 pandemic gave Michael a reason to pump the brakes and assess w...
2022-03-161h 09Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 96 : Shoef Cohen (Artist/Podcaster)Shayne (Shoef) Cohen is a Syracuse, NY-based artist and the host of a podcast called TSS Office Hours. He is also an accomplished chef, having worked in kitchens across the country for the last decade or so. During our conversation, we chat about how service workers are often under (or un-) appreciated. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Shoef and I also talk relationships, growing up poor with a single mother and how that shaped his views on parenting, his love for fashion (specifically sneakers) and personal aesthetic, and the prism through which he views life as...
2022-03-091h 02Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 95 : Richard Gentle (Academic/Explorer)My guest on this episode goes by the pseudonym "Richard Gentle" (while I usually don't welcome guests who are willing to share their true identities, I'm making an exception here). He is Midwest born and based, and currently works in higher education. Richard comes from humble beginnings, and was often teased for and warned against his aspirations. We discuss that in depth, as well as his decision to get married at a young age, the struggles that came with being a person with a bigger-sized body, and delving into therapy and how that's led him to exploration internally as...
2022-03-021h 02Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 94 :Jared Salekin (Mental Health Educator/Podcaster)What's the dream for you? Do you think that status and money can buy you happiness? Is a six-figure paycheck and a jet set lifestyle your ultimate goal? While I'm not saying those aren't good goals to have, there are plenty of people who have reached what they thought was the mountaintop, only to realize that what they really wanted wasn't there.
Such is the case with this episode's guest, Jared Salekin. For a while, Jared was a baller. He put his entrepreneurial mindset to good use, and then had an epiphany at the tender age of 25, turning his back on...
2022-02-2352 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 93 : Dr. Ali MattuThis podcast is, among other things, about mental health. And there's plenty of good advice one can get from a clinical perspective. There's plenty you can get from a human experiential perspective. But those perspectives don't have to be mutually exclusive, and that's proven by this episode's guest, Dr. Ali Mattu. Dr. Mattu hosts a wildly popular YouTube series about mental health and anxiety, and works with an organization called Loop, which hosts a community-centered mental health app. Ali and I talk about things that have revolutionized mental health in the last few years (including Telehealth and psychedelic treatment...
2022-02-161h 01Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 92 : Jay Kumar (Journalist/Podcaster)Jay Kumar has been a professional in the journalism world for over three decades. He's been podcasting for more than 10 years. I guested on Completely Conspicuous (one of his two shows) way back in 2012, and again in 2015. In addition to being a podcast pro, Jay is also a second-generation American who has lived in two of the three North American countries. He talks about culture shock (maybe not as crazy when you move to the U.S. from Canada), raising two awesome young women, the mistakes his parents made that he didn't, his incredible love for a diverse array...
2022-02-0951 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 91 : Grant Palmer (Educator/Academic)Grant Palmer is an educator and academic based in Southern California. Our conversation starts with music, which is only fitting because music is how Grant and I connected. From there, we uncover a somewhat turbulent young life marked by several medical mishaps. As with most of Detoxicity's guests, self-discovery and enlightenment is the name of the game here. Grant discusses how he intends to use his privilege to help less fortunate people, he discusses what it's like to raise a stepchild, and he ponders his future as a potential caretaker. It's a typically wide-ranging discussion that I hope you...
2022-02-021h 23Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 90 : ”White Hart Josh”Honesty can sometimes have real-world consequences, so when a guest requests anonymity, I'm happy to grant it.
My guest for this episode is known as "White Hart Josh". He's based in New England--the tiny town of Providence, RI, to be exact. Josh and I explore quite a bit during our conversation. Freemasonry makes its way into the DetoxPod lexicon, as Josh discusses the society he belongs to. He talks about his experiences in mentorship, and what that's meant to him. He also discusses his experiences in the world of BDSM and how he's recently come to terms...
2022-01-2656 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 89: Glen Phillips (Singer/Songwriter)In this episode of Detoxicity, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Glen Phillips. Glen has been touring and releasing records for over three decades, as a solo artist and as the frontman and principal songwriter for the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. During our conversation, Glen discusses how he felt as an incredibly sensitive young man, he extols the virtues of community-based singing, and talks about making more of an effort to reach across the table, as it were, and find ways to relate to folks who may exist on different sides of the political spectrum. Glen...
2022-01-191h 16Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 88 : Brandon JamesRemember Episode 85, which I recorded in Mexico at the Desire resort? Well, a lot of people who were on that trip with me have interesting journeys to talk about, and over the next few weeks and months, you'll be hearing their stories, starting with this one!
Brandon James grew up in rural Indiana, with all of the conservatism that a rural Indiana upbringing might imply. Yet there was always a pull in his mind, saying that he wanted a different life. Now, living in the Bay Area, he is putting together that different life.Our conversation charts his personal evolution. W...
2022-01-121h 08Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 87 : Martin X. Henson (Activist/Organizer)Martin X. Henson is an activist and organizer who makes his home currently in Boston, MA. Martin founded and is the executive director of an organization called the BMen Foundation, which helps provide safe spaces and mental health support for Black men. During our chat, Martin talks about what led him to work as an advocate and activist, discusses the occasionally dicey relationship between Black men and mental health, and considers the future of the recent political uprisings in the U.S. He also shares his self-care regimen and ponders the difference between Southern American racism and Northern American...
2022-01-0545 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 86 : Nick Kizirnis (Songwriter/Musician)This episode's guest is Nick Kizirnis (AKA Nicky Kay), a musician and software engineer based out of Dayton, OH. Nick's thirty year journey through music and his journey as a designer are pretty divergent, but we cover both topics during our chat. In addition to finding out how Nick fell in love with music and what performing and listening to music does for his mental health, we discuss Nick's attachment to and investment in his local community. We also talk about how his creative process and self-care rituals intersect (it involves getting up really early in the morning!) and...
2021-12-151h 07Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 85: Swingset Takes Desire! Crossover EpisodeAs some of you know, I occasionally co-host a podcast called Life on the Swingset, which is about progressive sexuality and alternative relationships. Several of the podcast regulars, including Dylan Thomas and Ryan Bentham, have appeared on Detoxicity multiple times.
Each year, the Life on the Swingset crew ventures down to Mexico to spend a week in paradise at the Desire resort. The Swingset takeover is an inclusive environment in which sex-positivity is encouraged, but also where intellectual, emotional and sexual curiosity is explored and growth in all of those facets can be gained. When I was invited to take pa...
2021-12-081h 12Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 84 : John Callas (Author, Film Producer)For this episode, I had the privilege of talking to writer, director and author John Callas. Over four decades in the entertainment business, John has worked with "A" list actors, directed over 80 episodes of "Bobby's World", the classic animated series, and won a VMA for Best Concept Video for Glenn Frey's "Smuggler's Blues".
John recently published a memoir called "When The Rain Stops", in which he discusses his hard scrabble childhood, the loss of his father at a very young age, and the circumstances that ultimately led to a stint in military school. This forms the basis of our conversation, and w...
2021-12-0151 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 83 : Ron Doyle (Podcast Producer, Web Developer)For this episode, we’re gonna travel out to Colorado to meet up with Ron Doyle. Ron is the creative director of Waterday Media, a multimedia production and communications company that specializes in everything from web development to podcast production.
Ron and I came into contact with one another via podcasting. He’s the producer of The Grawlix Saves the World, one of my favorite podcasts these days, and during our conversation, we touch on how he got tied in with the three fantastic comedians that the podcast is focused on.
But podcasting is just a tee...
2021-11-1758 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 82 : Mitchell Leonard (Producer, Composer)My guest for this episode of is Mitchell Leonard, a composer and producer originally from Arizona now making his home in Brooklyn. We actually started our conversation before he got the chance to properly introduce himself, which hopefully you consider a good sign for your listening experience. From an artistic perspective, Mitch and I talk about the fallacy of it being too late to start over and what events transpired to move him East to the Big Apple. Mitchell also explores his addictive personality and the unusual methods he undertook to mitigate his substance use. We also talk about d...
2021-11-101h 28Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 81 : Marcus Mims (Producer/Songwriter)Marcus Mims is a songwriter, producer and vocal coach originally from the Detroit suburbs, now based in the...New York City suburbs? What are we calling North Jersey now? He's also known as Journal. Anyway, there's a big difference between the Big D and the Big Apple, and Marcus learned a lot about that difference when he made his move to the NY area. That adjustment isn't the only challenge that Marcus has experienced. We also talk about how to deal with loss at a very young age, we talk about how Marcus recovered from a major medical scare...
2021-11-0357 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 80 : Luke Nielsen (Educator, Coach)This episode is going to deviate a bit from Detoxicity's normal format. Most episodes so far have featured me interviewing someone (or, on rare occasion, someone interviewing me). When I started talking to Luke Nielsen, who makes his living as an art teacher and football coach in Iowa, we ended up structuring this episode more as a mutual interview. So I quiz Luke about what it's like to grow up in small-town Midwest with over a hundred family members, and he grills me about the music I grew up listening to. We share stories about personal evolution, social and...
2021-10-271h 11Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 79 : Jason HareSome of you might now that Detoxicity is not the only podcast I host and produce. Along with my music loving friends Jeff Giles and Jason Hare, I host a podcast called FM to MTV, which focuses on the pop music that the three of us grew up with, albeit in very different environments. In addition to being music nerds and great comic foils, I have been friends with Jeff and Jason now for over a decade. Jeff and I collaborated for a Detox episode a few weeks ago, and now it's Jason's turn. Our conversation takes quite a...
2021-10-201h 24Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 77: Bryan MackMy love of music tends to direct me towards quite a few potential podcast guests, and the seeds for this week's episode were sown earlier this year when I joined a bracket style music tournament held by my buddy Crispin Kott, who you might remember from episode 36.
That group introduced me to Bryan Mack, this episode's subject. Bryan is a music geek through and through. You'll find out just how much of a music geek he is during our conversation. In addition to collecting records and going to tons of shows, Bryan is also (I think) Detoxicity's first lawyer. He's a...
2021-09-2956 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 76 : Ethan FreckletonSince I started doing this show, I've developed a bit of a thing about people who call themselves life coaches. There's a level of, dare I say, bullshit that I've detected with some of the people I've interviewed thus far that have felt the calling to coach others through life. So I approached my interview with Ethan Freckleton cautiously.
Thankfully, Ethan allayed my fears by being vulnerable, being honest and acknowledging that he doesn't come from a place of presumed superiority or enlightenment. He's fighting the good fight just like the rest of us and trying to help those through a...
2021-09-221h 17Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 75 : Evan ThomasEarlier this year, Detoxicity's host, Mike Joseph, was located on the genealogy site 23 and Me by someone named Evan Thomas, who was indicated to be Mike's brother. After several months of communication, the two met in person and recorded this special episode of the podcast. Evan and Mike discuss the circumstances that led them to one another and how their lives and personalities came close to intersecting over the years. They also discuss living in the South, hanging up the "player card", interracial relationships and much more.
2021-09-151h 25Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 74 : Jeff GilesJeff Giles is a writer, first and foremost. He founded the pop culture website Popdose almost a decade and a half ago, and has also written for sites including Rotten Tomatoes, Paste, and Ultimate Classic Rock. Jeff has also written two books, including one called Llanview in the Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live. He is not to be confused with the OTHER pop culture writer named Jeff Giles, who has written for Entertainment Weekly, among other outlets.
Jeff is also my co-host on my other podcast, FM to MTV, where we discuss the pop music we gre...
2021-09-081h 16Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 73 : Mike BankheadMike Bankhead is a musician based in Dayton, Ohio. During our interview, Mike talks about his close knit local community and why the Midwest appeals to him. We discuss the cultural stigma that still exists around mental health in the Black community, and Mike shares a couple of interesting stories about his experiences with law enforcement. Our discussion also covers faith and theology, perfectionism and the awkwardness that comes with being in environments in which you might be considered an outlier. I realize I sound like a broken record when I talk about how much I enjoy these conversations, b...
2021-09-011h 10Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 72: Brian RosenworcelBrian Rosenworcel, also known as the Thundergod, is the drummer for rock band Guster. Over the course of Guster's thirty years as an active unit, Brian has gained notoriety for not only his musicianship but his humorous and often quirky online presence as expressed on the band's road and studio journals.
This was actually our second stab at recording. Our first attempt got thwarted by noise, but the good thing is that Brian is such a great conversationalist that it didn't matter that we were performing a do-over on an already recorded podcast. Brian has a lot to share regarding par...
2021-08-1852 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 71: Reid MartinThis episode features Reid Martin. Reid is the owner of Midcitizen Entertainment, a company that represents Low Cut Connie, whose Adam Weiner you heard from a few weeks back, as well as the amazing Big Freedia, Grammy nominated Tank and the Bangas, and more. Reid is based in New Orleans and during our conversation, you'll hear why he wants New Orleans to be his base of operations as opposed to more typical music industry cities like New York or Los Angeles. You'll also hear how he gets his boundless energy, how much he hustled to land where he's landed, an...
2021-08-1146 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 70: Chris GethardChris Gethard is a comedian, an actor, the writer of several books, and the host of the podcast Beautiful/Anonymous, in which he takes a random phone call from a complete stranger and converses with them for an hour. Chris is probably best known for Career Suicide, a one man show that later became an acclaimed HBO Special, in which he went deep on his struggles with depression.
My conversation with Chris covers a lot of ground. We talk about his recently released documentary, "Half My Life", in which he tries to figure out a balance between his life as a co...
2021-08-041h 04Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 66: Bob LugoweWhen this episode's guest was introduced to me a decade or so ago as "Juggalo Bob", I had reservations. Those reservations said more about my own preconceived notions than it did about anything in regards to Bob Lugowe. We all contain multitudes, and Bob is not only a proud member of the Insane Clown Posse fan club, but he's a music industry executive, a label owner and marketer, he's a brain trauma survivor, and he's someone who appears to have completely grasped the concept of personal evolution. From hard partier to spiritually awakened work in progress, I'm proud to...
2021-07-071h 15Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 65:Tanner HindsTanner Hinds is a comic and musician based in Cincinnati, OH. He hosts and produces the Heavy Head podcast, an episodic adventure through mental illness. This conversation covers topics including how Tanner realized and got help for his own depression-related issues, attempting to find a self-care regimen, finding strength in solitude, how art turns him into a better (or at least more outgoing) version of himself, and why depression and bisexuality might not be the best topics to approach a stand-up routine with in certain parts of the country.
2021-06-3048 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 64: William Fitzsimmons I have had a lot of musicians as guests on this show. I've had a lot of mental health professionals on this show. But here's a first--a professional musician who is also a licensed therapist! I got to know William Fitzsimmons through Staying in Tune, a web series i host with the mental health charity Sound Mind Live. We got along so well, and William's story was so interesting, that I had to extend our conversation and get him to chat for Detoxicity.
William is a sensitive soul who's still struggling a bit with some of those old masculine tropes. Ove...
2021-06-231h 00Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 63: Relationship Round Table (feat. Dylan Thomas, Kevin Patterson & Ryan Bentham)This episode of Detoxicity brings back three former guests; relationship/sexuality experts Dylan Thomas, Kevin Patterson and Ryan Bentham. All three men are versed in traditional and non-traditional relationships; romantic, platonic, monogamous, polyamorous, etc. This discussion further explores their individual and ongoing journeys through love, partnership, sex and exploration.
Topics covered include parenthood, jealousy and letting go, queerness and self-definition, and many more. It's an open, honest discussion that travels a lot of ground in just an hour.
2021-06-161h 10Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 62 : Adam Weiner (Low Cut Connie)Adam Weiner is the face and the main voice behind Low Cut Connie, a rock and roll band that's gained fans as diverse as Barack Obama and Elton John. In the last year and change, Adam's fame has grown thanks to his web series Tough Cookies. Created during the pandemic, it has gained a new legion of fans and has hosted guests including members of Sly & The Family Stone, Darlene Love and Joan Osborne. An album called "Tough Cookies: The Best of the Quarantine Broadcasts" was released last month.
In our interview, Adam talks about being invested in his "art bu...
2021-06-0949 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 61 : Dr. Mike Friedman Interviews Mike JosephA few episodes ago, in the name of changing things up a bit, I went from being the interviewer to being the interviewee, and the show got some of the best feedback we've gotten so far. So, because I have no shame in flogging a dead horse, I'm subjecting myself to the interview process once again. This time, my interviewer is Dr. Michael Friedman, who was the guest on the very first episode of Detoxicity a bit over a year ago.
Dr. Mike is a practicing psychiatrist who also hosts a podcast called Hardcore Humanism in which he has interviewed many...
2021-06-021h 09Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 60: Manny HumlieManny Humlie is 1/3 of the band We Three, whose big claim to fame was a stint on America's Got Talent a few years ago. In the years since AGT, We Three have become a major recording and touring act (pre-COVID, obviously), and Manny and I discuss his sheltered upbringing, which involved him being home schooled for most of his life. We also talk about the role religion and music played in his upbringing, what drives him to learn more about the world, the pain of losing a parent, and what it's like to get married at a young age.
2021-05-1956 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 59 : Logan NielsenLogan Nielsen is the co-host and producer of the Josh Johnson Show, a podcast that you can hear just about anywhere. He is also the host of The Nielsen Brothers Podcast along with (duh) his two brothers. He is also a stand up comedian and a writer and a substitute teacher. Like many of our guests, Logan wears many hats and he talks about all of them over the course of our episode.
Logan gave me a ton of material to work with over the course of the hour we spoke, from sustaining a traumatic head injury as a teenager t...
2021-05-121h 11Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 58 : Kevin McCaffreyComedian, writer and actor Kevin McCaffrey got his big break on The Late Show with David Letterman. Kevin currently hosts the podcasts Sex & the Cidiots and Away Games (a Chicago Cubs podcast) along with a comedy show on Sirius XM every Wednesday. During this episode, he touches on what led him to pursue comedy (as well as the life of a creative that happens to be married to another creative). Other topics discussed include being a "Dad figure" to his two younger brothers, a somewhat complicated relationship with alcohol, and self-care routines.
Check out Kevin's Twitter and...
2021-05-0555 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 57 : Louie Pearlman Interviews Mike JosephOver the past few months, I've been asking friends for constructive criticism regarding Detoxicity. Several people mentioned that although they enjoy the podcast, I don't do enough talking. Of course, these people are my friends and are maybe tuning in because they want to hear me talk. If you're not my friend and want to give me your honest opinion, find me on IG and shoot me a message!
With that in mind, I decided to become the interviewee in this episode. The interviewer, in this case, is Louie Pearlman, a writer and actor that I talked to all the wa...
2021-04-2858 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 56 : A Conversation About Race, Pt. 1 (With Sammy Pisano & Christopher Cruz)To say that racism is a pox on the United States of America is to understate the case greatly. While some people have only gotten hip to the injustices faced by all people of color, but especially Black people, as social media has gained traction in the last decade, every racial minority knows what it's like to encounter racism. For people like me (a Black man), the indignities of being othered are as normal as brushing your teeth, whether you're trying to get a bank loan approved, trying to shop, or just walking down the street. It's an ever-present menace.
T...
2021-04-211h 12Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 55 : Zack BorerZack Borer is a licensed marriage and family therapist, based in los Angeles. Zack is also the co-founder of backline. care, a non profit organization that provides mental health resources for musicians and employees of the music industry. During our conversation, Zack and I discuss his beginnings as a musician and what led him to explore psychiatry as a profession. We also cover some best practices for self-care, talk about how toxic the music industry can be and we discuss a topic that's very interesting to me: how do people that provide care then care for themselves? Zack provides a...
2021-04-0754 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 54 : Jermaine CharlesJermaine Charles is a multi-faceted creative professional based in Brooklyn, NY. Over his career, Jermaine has also worked in radio and film production, leading to a very diverse professional experience that aligns with his unique personal experiences. In this episode, Jermaine and I talk about all sorts of things; from the fallacy of the nuclear family to his complicated relationships with both parents. You'll also hear about Jermaine's nomadic existence, which has taken him across the country and back a time or two, and he and I revisit a topic that seems to rear its head in every episode...
2021-03-3156 minDetoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod Episode 53 : SankofaA handful of my guests on this show have been recommended by listeners or people who've previously been interviewed by me. This episode's guest was pitched to me by Joel Frieders, who appeared just a few weeks ago in Episode 47. He said he had a buddy who was a rapper and a kindergarten teacher and had the deepest voice he'd ever heard. Of course, I was intrigued. And that intrigue led to an awesome interview.
By day, Stephen Eric Bryden teaches young people in Fort Wayne, Indiana. By night, Stephen rhymes as the verbose emcee Sankofa, who just released a new...
2021-03-241h 20Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 52 : Tash NealTo wrap up the first year of Detoxicity, I am interviewing Tash Neal. Tash is a musician, singer, and songwriter born and raised in New York City. He first gained notice as a member of The London Souls, and released his debut solo album, Charge it to the Game, just last week. He's performed with Lenny Kravitz, The Black Crowes and Slash.
Tash has a lot to talk about during this interview, starting with his NYC upbringing with musician parents. We get into the topics that currently inform his music, with racism being one, particularly as a Black rock musician. He...
2021-03-171h 00Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 51 : Gerry Hirschfeld & Chris Tsaganeas of Wax OwlsSo here's something a little different.
For the first time in Detoxicity history (and certainly not the last), I am interviewing two people at once. Gerry Hirschfeld and Chris Tsaganeas are members of the L.A.-based indie rock trio Wax Owls. We cover a lot of ground in our conversation. Gerry Chris and I discuss the Wax Owls dynamic, which is probably applicable to any business relationship between friends. We also discuss how they balance their burgeoning music career with day jobs as attorneys. Digging deeper, we discuss dealing with anxiety and various other neuroses, and how they affect ou...
2021-03-101h 17Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 49: Ned DonovanNed Donovan is an actor, entrepreneur and creative multi-hyphenate (surprise) (originally from Maine and now (well, in non-COVID times) making his home in New York City. He currently is a cast member of the D&D-related podcast Encounter Party, runs a website for theater professionals called Audition Cat, and is also developing a podcast based around eulogies.
Ned also has a pretty interesting past, having spent time as a professional stunt coordinator (!!). We get into that during our discussion, but we also talk about growing up with an addict parent, what he learned (or didn't learn) being brought up in li...
2021-02-241h 08Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 48 : Troy RameyTroy Ramey made it to the top 12 of the televised singing competition The Voice. However, Troy is a lot more than a contestant on one season on a reality show. In our interview, we talk about how the passing of his father drew him closer to music being more than a hobby. We also talk about the plusses and minuses of being your own boss, and how much of a struggle that has been in the last year of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is all framed around Troy's ongoing experiences with depression and anxiety, which is discussed in depth.
2021-02-171h 00Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 47 : Joel FriedersA previous guest described himself as a connector, and I consider myself someone who values the connections that can randomly come as you walk through the world. My connection to this episode's guest, Joel Frieders, comes from my friend Jonny Boucher, who I interviewed a few episodes ago. Like Jonny, Joel is connected to the charity Hope for the Day and is a tireless advocate for mental health. Like many of our other guests, Joel is a multi-hyphenate. He's a "recovering musician". He used to be a beekeeper. He runs a pharmacy. He's an alderman! Yes, folks, I've got my f...
2021-02-101h 39Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 46: Varghese ChackoMy guest for this episode is Varghese Chacko, who is a partner in the organization NYC Nightlife United, whose aim is to provide relief to BIPOC-led venues in the New York City area during the COVID-19 crisis. In our interview, Varghese and I discuss his Indian-American heritage and what diversity means to him. We also discuss how he's staying afloat during stay-at-home orders, his recent recommitment to sobriety and exercise in light of turning forty, and the love and value he has for his homies.
2021-02-031h 03Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod Episode 44: Kenny RobySinger/songwriter Kenny Roby has spent upwards of three decades as a working musician. His most recent album, The Reservoir, was released in August of 2020. In this episode, Kenny talks to me (Mike) about the many side hustles he's had to undertake as a professional musician and why being a musician (as an actual job) is highly undervalued. He talks marriage, divorce and raising two young men; the things he's learned as a dad and the things his sons have learned through him. He also talks about various forms of personal upheaval, giving oneself grace, and dealing with addiction...
2021-01-201h 03Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 40: Alex Marko (Satellite Mode)Alex Marko is a producer and musician who comprises 1/2 of the duo Satellite Mode. As an independent musician, Alex has a lot to say about the appreciation of music and the balance between art and commerce. He also talks to Mike Joseph about approaching his career with a business background, managing his neuroses with therapy, and attempting to find a ray of light during the tough times we're in currently. As an addendum, check out a video featuring both members of Satellite Mode chatting with Mike about race relations in light of the national uprising earlier this year.
2020-12-281h 03Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 39: Josh GondelmanJosh Gondelman is a comedian, author and an Emmy-winning writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He also hosts the podcast Make My Day. In this episode of Detoxicity, Josh talks about his "nice guy" reputation (which isn't for show, he really is a nice guy), his hometown of (just outside) Boston, his desire to keep constant "check-in" on those close to him, and the cultural differences and similarities that mark his current gig on Showtime's Desus and Mero show.
2020-12-231h 13Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod 33: Bill BodkinThis episode features a good friend of mine by the name of Bill Bodkin. Bill is a journalist who makes his home near the Jersey Shore. He founded the site popbreak dot com more than ten years ago, and the site encompasses everything from nightlife reviews to interviews with professional wrestlers to a podcast that has featured yours truly as a guest numerous times. He is a writer, a father, a husband, a pop culture fanatic, and is as proud to be from Jersey as I imagine Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi must be.
Wrestling-a L...
2020-11-021h 20Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod Bonus Episode: Chris Calabrese Interviews Mike JosephThis episode was supposed to be an interview with Chris Calabrese, who is studying at Montclair State University in New Jersey in the hopes of becoming a therapist. What it became turned out to be way more of a dialogue between Chris and I, in which I reveal much more about myself than I have in previous episodes. Since the show really isn't about me, I felt like it made more sense to release this episode out of sequence.
I discuss my upbringing in Brooklyn, constantly feeling "othered", why I'd feel uncomfortable accepting reparations, cultural identity, white...
2020-09-251h 03Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod23: Dr. Daniel BlockHey! Remember Episode 18, in which I interviewed musician and label co-owner Matt Block? We talked a little bit about his parents; specifically his father, who is a psychiatrist. That conversation led to Episode 23, in which I interview Daniel Block, dad to three kids, including Matt and his brother Jacob (who designed the Detoxpod logo).
Dr. Block has been in private practice since 1993, and has won awards for his compassionate and patient-friendly approach.
Our chat covers the things that spurred him to practice psychiatry, and we go pretty deep into reasons why many men are resistant t...
2020-08-191h 08Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod16: Brian "BSKi" Collazo (Musician, New Dad)Brian Collazo (known professionally as BSKi) is a singer and songwriter based in New York City. In this episode of #detoxpod, Brian talks to Mike Joseph about life as a professional musician. He explores his "Nuyorican" heritage and explains why he wants his brand new daughter to grow up knowing her heritage. You'll also hear great stories about career near-misses, some inside baseball about the music industry, and Brian reminisces about the time he appeared on "It's Showtime At The Apollo!"
2020-07-011h 05Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For EveryoneDetoxPod12: Blake CaliguiriBlake Caliguiri is an NYC-based IT professional, photography, and musician. His work can be found here. In this episode of Detoxicity, the key word is "evolution". Blake discusses being allowed to grow and change as a person, from a little kid obsessed with the cowboy mythology to a hardcore music-obsessed teenager to getting married at a young age and being forced to confront some of the behaviors he learned growing up and become a better partner and person.
This is the first Detoxpod with bonus content! Continue listening after the closing theme (shout out to the...
2020-05-271h 07