Craig Cardiff, a Canadian singer/songwriter sat down with me for stories. Then he made me cry. Then he called me a crybaby. I loved every moment of it. I imagine you will too :)
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Blaine and Sarah are Pretty Gritty, a Soulful Americana band based in Portland, Oregon. They join me to tell a story of Roger's jam shed and the night they spent there, it is hilarious and heartwarming and includes a goat. Not in that way. This incredible duo are truly talented and really funny as all get out, please check them out on Reverbnation, Soundcloud, Facebook/prettygritty and their awesome website www.prettygrittymusic.com. #JamShed #Smoke&Dust&Weirdos I also sample two of their songs: Country; This Heart of Mine.
You are going to love them.
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Here is a good life lesson kids: when absolutely er'thing goes to shit and all your plans fall through - take a chance. That's what I did one Friday night recently and I ended up getting to sit knee to knee with one of my favourite artists, getting to know him and his incredible producer while telling stories together and commiserating on being 35. Grant Davidson is Slow Leaves; Rusty Matyas is producing with him but is also known for The Sheepdogs, The Weakerthans and Imaginary Cities (all brilliant bands btw if you haven't heard by now, and I assume you already trust my every word :)
Thank you guys for an incredible night, live music in a hotel room and of course, telling me stories.
You can find Grant at www.slowleaves.com or on Twitter @SlowLeaves.
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Listen in for this year's Riverfest Elora's lineup and some highlights from 2015 interviews with the bands. This August 19, 20 and 21 is going to blow your mind people. Get your tickets now at www.riverfestelora.com and listen to the 2015 episodes at www.tellmestoriespodcast.com. Yay! Also available on Itunes, Stitcher and anypleace else you might look for a stellar podcast filled with the best combo of music and stories, ever.
xo Paula
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
https://www.facebook.com/youagainwebseries/
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/you-again-web-series#/
--
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Ohhh man you guys, Queens of the Stone Age bowed down and the Rolling Stones live up to the legend according to the stories I heard backstage with The Sadies and 54.40 LIVE BACKSTAGE at Ice Jam!
Seriously, this was such fun. I can't thank the organizers enough for bringing me back for the next round of bands! Woohoo!!
www.riverfestelora.com for tickets to the summer show babies! I hope to see you there :)
Did you know Elora, Ontario is only 1 hour from Toronto? If you know where you are in relation to Toronto - do the math and I will see you there. Did I mention they have microbreweries and the best food trucks on earth? Oh and just like 45 of the best bands possible gathered for a single weekend of sheer musical summer bliss.
Oh I am kind of a fan. See you there!
xo Paula
Odario G Williams can tell a story you guys. So much so that after I sat down with the frontman of Grand Analog following their set at Ice Jam Music Festival, he was telling me about heading to Toronto to literally tell a story on stage at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. Like, I mean among professional comedians, that should put into perspective the ease with which this kid can talk about anything, anywhere. We caught up backstage with him and the rest of the group: Warren Bray, Ofield K. Williams and TJ Garcia and touched on Montreal's party-city status; what being on time means; and coincidences that create stories all on their own. This episode also features Grand Analog's music, so get ready to dance.
Enjoy :)
Ice Jam music festival 2016: I jump backstage with Safe As Houses, a 5 piece ensemble from Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario. Enjoy their stories and learning a bit more about this up and coming band and then take a FIRST LISTEN to their new single Heat In Our Lungs from their upcoming album. The band: Elliott Anton, Benson Carter, Andrew & Thomas Laughton and Lauren Taylor.
www.bensound.com for backgrounds on my intros/outros
Ice Jam is the winter music festival brought to you by the lovely Riverfest group who produce the summer festival my first three episodes were taped at. They know their music, they know how to put a great show together and they let THIS little podcaster backstage to capture it all!
Episode ONE: Madison Galloway is a local performer and was the opening act. Read all about this little musical wonder at www.madisongalloway.com and enjoy her telling a story about lost passports and the hilarity that ensues when putting a band together at the last possible moment.
Joni NehRita was born in Toronto and now lives in Guelph and GIRL CAN SING man, like woah. Read all about her here: www.joninehrita.com and hear here on the podcast telling me about what it was like growing up Jamaican-Canadian in Toronto and making the move to smaller city life :)
Additional music provided by www.bensound.com
Casey Martin and Rob Williams are Kamakaze Fireflies and they kicked royal ass on America's Got Talent. So much so they have been touring non stop every since. Rob came from Broadway (not Off Broadway and not Off Off Broadway which is my friend Sal's basement but like REAL Broadway); Casey toured with Williams Shatner's comedy group. They have appeared in films, tv, commercials and music videos and are cute as hell. They also write and perform out of Dustin's Dojo in LA. Where cool things happen: www.dustinsdojo.com. Please enjoy the fruits of their labour :)
Dwayne Perkins and I chat about what it takes to be a good friend. And sometimes that means getting hit in the face man, that's just how good a friend this dude is. When he's done helping his friends he appears and writes for television; did his standup on Conan, Comedy Central gave him his own half hour special and Rolling Stone Magazine (yup, that one) named him one of the top comedians to watch. He also did a three year stint on Tosh.0 and still made time for me. ME YOU GUYS!!! yay!!!
Dwayne Perkins literally does it all. With culdesac coolness.
Emily Galati and I sit down to talk basketball. Like, in a way. So calm the hell down you guys. She's been a semi-finalist on The Last Comic Standing and guested on Fox's "Laughs" and "Comics Unleashed" which makes me immediately picture them at a hotel mini bar... Also she represented Chicago (full of funny people, in a good way) at the flipping Gilda's Laughfest. For anyone unfamiliar with my love of Gilda Radner, know now I completely geeked out meeting Emily and learning this about her. She handled it real cool. And was pulling off hot red pants. So she's my new hero, obviously.
Scoot Herring joins me for this round of comics, filled with nerd rage and tallness. He has his own nerdy podcast called Press Scoot to Continue and after you hear him here, you will my lovelies. You will press it until it hurts. Too much? He talks Star Wars with me and you nerds are gonna love this.
Sean Cullen joins me backstage to laugh our butts off about handling your shit on stage when everything goes to, well - shit. Did I mention this would be explicit? Haha... Sean Cullen is a Canadian comedian, entertainer, actor, musician and freaking author. Feel bad about yourself yet? Wait til you hear how funny he is. Yeah, hit to the old self-esteem bag there my friends. Oh, right and he has his own Podcast called The Seanpod. Like, obviously.
www.bensound.com for music
JJ Whitehead, or Whitesnake, sits down with me to connect before his set at the KW Comedy Festival. We talk about Los Angeles life versus Ontario; how 7 continuously successful sets makes one over confident; how some Scottish FireFighters made JJ permanently polite; and why passive aggressively talking to your plants may, indeed, say something about your mental health :). I had so much fun with this one guys, we could have likely talked all night long but you know, he had a set to do and stuff. Please take time to really dig into his accent: I feel this is one of the only Nova Scotia cross Los Angeles accents I have heard and its now in my top 5. Yay!
Shout outs to: @podcaster101 @GrilFMcast @Awkward_Podcast @FacesAndAcesLV
Music provided by www.bensound.com
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Steve Patterson from CBC Radio One's The Debaters sits down with me after headlining the Kitchener/Waterloo Comedy Festival to Tell Me Stories! And he does, a plenty :)
Mr. Patterson is the host of CBC's The Debaters and is has performed at such incredible events as Just For Laughs Festival, Edinburgh Festival, and only like a billion others. Oh and as if he weren't awesome enough, he also wrote a flipping book you guys. The Book of Letters, true story. Check out all his stuff here: http://stevepatterson.ca/
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Music for Tell Me Stories Podcast provided by www.bensound.com.
Deanne Smith is funny. Like, for reals. I caught up with her at the KW Comedy Festival following her headlining set at the Huether Hotel in downtown Waterloo. She killed it. Clearly. This lady has been on Last Comic Standing, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Comedy Network and basically every Just For Laughs Festival possible. She told me a harrowing tale about life in Mexico, why a Columbian lawyer is useless, how to become a Canadian and how many tattoos are ON that little frame! Man alive! Thank you again Deanne Smith, it was an absolute pleasure. Music: www.bensound.com
You may remember him from such shows as Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson, the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and your nighttime sexy dreams. Join me as I sit down at the KW Comedy Festival with Chad Daniels and attempt (weakly and with mixed results) to hold my own comedically, hahaha... as fucking if. #KWCOMEDY16
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Brenda Xu is a Seattle based ambient folk musician who is heading out on tour this spring to Alaska and along the West Coast. Take a listen in as we sit down together and tell stories about music, the road, what being an artist is all about and why selfies are ruining the world! Enjoy :)
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Ran Levi runs the most successful podcast in Israel. And he's coming to America, like North America. He guests on my show with SO many stories I could contain them all! He was a ship captain at the ripe ol' age of 20 kids, think about what you were up to at 20 and feel embarrassed with me won't you? He went on to become one of the highest ranked podcasters in his country before losing his hearing. You can't make this stuff up! He hosts an excellent podcast, now available in English, about history, science and technology as well as where all those topic intersect. Join me for a half hour with Curious Minds Podcast.
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Dan Snyder comes from a mama who is a professional story teller y'all. Dan is one hell of a story teller as a result. Please enjoy the stories of snakes and mothers and take a listen to two songs We're a Lot Like Trees and Culdesac Sadness from their 2016 album Great Escapes. Do yourselves a favour and break out the good headphone for this, who gives a hoot about your hair! Just put them on and listen in, its so very worth it :)
xo
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Recorded live at Riverfest 2015 on Sunday night with Bruce Cockburn playing in the background, comes two incredible stories of the same friendship. Ben and Meg met as kids, their parents were friends and they all lived in downtown Guelph, Ontario. They grew up, Meg moved away, growing up happened and they lost touch a bit. Ben and Meg now share the incredible true story of how they became friends again as adults in a little story I like to call the New Year's Pumpkin. Ben Doerkson performed at the after parties held by Riverfest and let me tell you - he was stunningly good, like not even super fair to other people who own guitars level good. Kind of awesome sauce, if you will.
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Labour Day weekend was brilliant and shining and I miss it now that it's dark and ugly and raining ice on my face. I spent some time in Muskoka and was lucky enough to chat with Rah Rah, capturing two incredible stories. Erin Passmore from Rah Rah tells me about being 17 on the road in Thunder Bay in what became the Stab Alley story; Kristina Hedlund then confesses to being a bit of a bad ass in Gondola Wedding Crashers; we then hear two stories from Meg Whitton told from her front lawn whilst sitting in Muskoka chairs, the first one about these very chairs and the next one we will just call Brother Milk Down and you will understand why. Enjoy.
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Sunday at Riverfest 2015 in Elora Ontario, featuring incredible stories from Sarah Harmer, sharing her experience with Students on Ice; Amelia Curran brings the best east coast vibe I could have hoped for; The River and the Road share their road-warrior story in what I will call the Blue Jay's Snooze; I manage to corner Alec from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and I think, by the end of it, we did a little bit become friends? You be the judge. We also hear from some saucy Texan patrons, a volunteer leader, and a very talented artist from Jenna's Doodles. Enjoy the closing of Riverfest but tune in for Episode 4, also recorded live during the festival weekend and I invite you to guess who is on stage in the background while the New Year's Pumpkin is told and retold...
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast
Saturday at Riverfest in Elora, Ontario we talk with Tim Kingsbury from Arcade Fire about Google It; The Planet Smashers come alive with many stories, most notably the term Vomipella may have been coined during the taping of this podcast; Ambre McLean tell us about Singing for her Supper; we also speak with volunteers, patrons and food vendors from the festival, all of whom contributed to the incredible atmosphere and awesome energy of this event!
Support the Tell Me Stories Podcast