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Ep. #214: Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco is an iconic singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, and entrepreneur who currently calls New Orleans home. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, DiFranco started her own record label, Righteous Babe, when she was 18 and, one year later, released her self-titled debut record in 1990. That auspicious start has led Righteous Babe to become one of America’s most successful independent labels, while the multi-talented, poetic, and outspoken DiFranco is one of the world’s most acclaimed and inspiring musicians. Her latest album is the eclectic and vibrant Allergic to Water, which Righteous Babe released in 2014, and it brings her out on the road over the next few months, including Canadian stops at the Great Hall in Toronto on Sept. 14, the River Run Centre in Guelph on Sept, 15, the Empire Theatre in Belleville on Sept, 17, and the Algonquin Commons Theatre in Ottawa on September 18. Here, Ani and I discuss New Orleans, the Roots of Music kids’ band playing for the President, thoughts on Barack Obama, life in NOLA post-Katrina, helping children via music schools, George W. Bush appearing in the 9th Ward on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, supporting politicians and government leaders, the left needs its own Donald Drumpf, the heartening rise of Bernie Sanders, moving to and living in New Orleans, learning to slow down, having and raising children, time and patience and work and rewards, something new in the mixing, early days and spleen rock, the underground folk and roots culture in Canada in the early 90s, moving to Canada, America swinging to the left and staying hopeful, pessimism doesn’t go with parenting, a new song about Obama’s weariness and resolve, the day after Obama was elected President in 2008, Jimmy Carter, slow going on the next record, producing an album of songs by and sung by men in prisons in America, recording some of them over the phone, “Take Down Your Flag” and the Charleston 9, workshopping new songs live, the song “Dithering,” and then we were out of range.

Related links: anidifranco.com therootsofmusic.org vishkhanna.com

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Ep. #213: Cameron Esposito

Cameron Esposito is a gifted and hilarious comedian and actress who originally hails from Chicago, Illinois. She’s a beloved figure who reveals much about her personal life in her stand-up, often discussing the fact that she’s a lesbian and covering various aspects and concerns pertaining to the LGBTQ community. In fact, her 2014 stand-up record Same Sex Symbol delved deeply into such topics and was acclaimed as one of the best and smartest comedy albums of the year. Now based in Los Angeles, Esposito is an in-demand performer who has appeared on TV shows like @midnight, Conan, Maron, Drunk History, and she will soon be voicing a character on the Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears. This December Esposito is marrying Rhea Butcher and taping her first special, a mere two days apart. She’s touring North America in the next while, including shows at the Comedy Bar in Toronto between September 10th and 12th and Comedy Mix in Vancouver between October 1st and 3rd. Here, Cameron and I discuss being prepared and winging it, the new multi-faceted face of comedy, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, career longevity, stand-up is the end and not a means to an end, Jay Leno’s stand-up, villainy and heroism, the Late Night wars, David Letterman’s likability, Costco, taping a special and getting married only days apart, a wedding planner, collective memory banks, how ‘merica’s doing, regionalism, Sick Kids Hospital, bullying, Donald Trump and immigration and the LGBTQ, Mexicans, alienating America’s fastest growing voting demographic, distracting the world from racism against black people by being racist towards Mexicans, figuring Trump out, women’s roles in this upcoming election, why we think Jon Stewart left The Daily Show, social media, topical humour, talking about yourself without feeling pigeonholed, inspiring others, Hari Kondabolu, the book of autobiographical essays she’s working on, the “Fighter Pilot” bit, and that was that.     

Related links: cameronesposito.com vishkhanna.com

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Ep. #212: Ike Turner of MINUTES & Brown Company

Ike Turner is a musician and professor based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Primarily a drummer, Turner is best known for playing in amazing bands like MINUTES, Brown Company, and the Book-Burners. He recently went on a very long bike ride across some of the United States of America and so it seemed like a good time to catch up. Here, Ike and I discuss saying my name, what it’s like in Kalamazoo, Michigan, teaching, colleges and universities, teaching the history of rock ‘n’ roll, writing a cool book about this history, seizures, Stephen Sowley and MINUTES, punk rock, Electrical Audio and PRF, Matthew Barnhart and the band Tre Orsi, the Kalamazoo music community and the Millhouse, the progressiveness of Michigan, the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, a state-crossing bicycle trip, running towards our dads, man cooking, cheering sections, mountains of information, the band These Estates, meeting good people who tell interesting stories, tales of the trek, sleeping after long days of riding, bicycling on highways or interstates, you can’t ride your bike on the 401, the Tim Hortons Donut Dome in Toronto, reverent baseball at Wrigley Field, the Tragically Hip, MINUTES and Brown Company and a new band, the MINUTES song “Boxes,” and that was the end.

Related links: minutes.bandcamp.com comedyminusone.com vishkhanna.com

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