Category: Comedy
Daily Horror Film Fest: It Perfect, a Stephen King/Pitch Perfect Mashup
Every day in October, the Department of Tangents presents a different horror short as part of the Daily Horror Film Fest. Last year,...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP41: Corin Ashley On Broken Biscuits and Stroke Recovery, plus New Comedy from Fern Brady
Corin Ashley was in the middle of recording his powerful new rock and roll album Broken Biscuits in January of 2016 when his...... Read More
Daily Horror Film Fest: Self-Assembly
There is nothing like a good creepy commercial for drilling an image into a viewer’s head. Producer/Director Ray Sullivan and writer Garret Shanley...... Read More
Daily Horror Film Fest: Haunted Houses, Cults, and Kitties
Every day in October, the Department of Tangents will be presenting a short horror film as part of the Daily Horror Film Fest....... Read More
DoT Podcast EP40: The Near Genius of Nate Dern plus New Music from Corin Ashley
When I started reading Nate Dern’s new book, Not Quite A Genius, I was expecting a collection of comic personal essays, that being...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP39: Sweet Harmony in Dark Times with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Patrick Coman’s Tree of Life, plus New Comedy from Sasheer Zamata
The first time I remember seeing Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams was at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston. They were backing up Levon...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP38: The Joyful Contradiction of Valerie June plus New Comedy From Shane Torres
About four songs into her set at New Hampshire’s Prescott Park, Valerie June addressed the crowd. “What about the things that are going...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP37: Humorist Mike Sacks Lets Loose a Stinker, plus New Music from Ian Randall Thornton
If you are like Mike Sacks, somewhere in the murk of your childhood memories, you have the remnants of some cheesy movies from...... Read More
My Favorite! Brendan Boogie Takes Revenge On His Enemies
The My Favorite! column is a weekly celebration of all things joyful. The parameters are simple. I asked some creative friends to write...... Read More
Interview Flashback: Dick Gregory In Gadfly Magazine, 2002
The world lost a tremendous voice for comedy and civil rights activism Saturday night when Dick Gregory died at 84, reportedly of a...... Read More
DoT Podcast Ep35: Billy D. Washington Never Left Stand-Up, But He’s Coming Back, Plus New Music from BIRDS
I’ve been a fan of comedian Billy D. Washington for a while. He’s a smart comic, talented in a lot of ways. He...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP34: Erin Judge’s Vow of Celibacy, New Music from Zion Rodman
Today Erin Judge celebrates the one-year anniversary of her debut novel, Vow of Celibacy, which is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon if...... Read More
My Favorite! Sunshine and Yoga with Actor/Writer Maria Ciampa
The My Favorite! column is a weekly celebration of all things joyful. The parameters are simple. I asked some creative friends to write...... Read More
Randy Newman’s Dark Matter: Characters and Visions
If Pixar decides to make a heart-warming epic about Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, Randy Newman has already written the song. Except it won’t...... Read More
My Favorite! Bacon and Eggs with Comedian DJ Hazard
Welcome to the first edition of the new My Favorite! column, a weekly celebration of all things joyful. The parameters are simple. I...... Read More
Alice Cooper’s Paranormal: Welcome Back to the Nightmare
It’s a little silly how happy it makes me to hear Alice Cooper sing lines like, “Please watch your step dear, the world...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP33: My Infinite Tuesdays with Michael Nesmith, New Music from Banditos
Back in April, Michael Nesmith released his book Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff, his take on his 50 years in music, film, and...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP32: Frippery and Foppery with The Upper Crust, Aunty Donna Invades America, and Comedy from Ali Wong
The Department of Tangents Podcast is back from a brief hiatus with a comedy and music packed EP32! The main interview here is...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP31 – Rita Rudner’s Comic History, Plus New Music from The Upper Crust
Rita Rudner has been working on an autobiography lately, a considerable undertaking for someone with her history. She has been writing and performing...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP30 – Amy Helm Finds Her Voice and Newly Released Comedy from Bill Hicks
The first thing you should know about Amy Helm is that she’s a fantastic singer/songwriter. In 2015, she released her first solo album,...... Read More
DoT Podcast Episode 29 – A Late-Night “Yes, And” Session with Petey Gibson, Plus Music from Amy Helm
There is a concept in improv called “Yes, And…” which basically means that you take whatever reality your scene partner has presented, accept...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP28 The Women In Comedy Festival 2017 Edition Plus New Music from Scott H. Biram
Last year, I was sad to see one of my favorite festivals, the Women In Comedy Festival, take a hiatus. “Hiatus” can mean...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP27 The Comedians of Awkward Sex and the City and New Music from Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
For EP27 of the podcast, I talked to the comedians of the Awkward Sex and the City tour, including the show’s creator, Natalie...... Read More
GUEST POST: Bunny Movies for Adults: After Dark Edition (No Kids Allowed)
This week, I got a strange e-mail offering me content. Not specifically for the Department of Tangents, or for anything. Just a piece...... Read More
Bad Mancinis Celebrate Nick the Lounge Singer at Midnight Tonight with ILL MURRAY
So maybe you’re saying to yourself, I want to hear some deep electronica grooves right now. But you’re also saying, I really love...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP26: Anders Parker on Solitude and Collaboration, New Comedy from Carmen Lynch
Anders Parker has been swerving all over the map, musically, for more than twenty years. He started out as the one-man band Varnaline...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP25: The Sublime Lunacy of Chandler Travis plus New Comedy from Jackie Kashian
We have reached the quarter century mark, in terms of full-length podcasts. And I’m happy to reach that milestone speaking with musician Chandler...... Read More
Jamie Loftus Performs “Swan Lake In a Locked Basement” for Jash.
It is an undeniable truth that the Internet is full of strange things. And it will get even stranger around 3PM EST today...... Read More
Department of Tangents Minicast: An Interview Flashback with John Cleese
In October of 2015, I interviewed John Cleese for the Boston Globe in advance of a local stop on his book tour for...... Read More