Category: Podcast
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
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
DoT Podcast EP36: A World of Soul with Zeshan B plus New Comedy From Ray Harrington
If you caught Zeshan B on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert a couple of weeks ago, you know how powerful a soul...... 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
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
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
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
DoT Podcast EP24: Joe DeRosa on Horror and Comedy
Joe DeRosa is the perfect subject for the Department of Tangents Podcast. He’s a talented comedian, as evidenced by his new album and...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP23: The One-Year Anniversary “Best Of” Episode
One year ago today, I launched the Department of Tangents Blog & Podcast, a place where I could write about my love of...... Read More
DoT Minicast: Son of the Velvet Rat’s Georg Altziebler Talks the Shimmering New Dorado
Welcome to a new Department of Tangents Minicast with Georg Altziebler, singer/songwriter behind Son of the Velvet Rat. In February, Son of the...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP22: Birds of Chicago on Touring and Love In Wartime, Plus New Comedy from Jenny Zigrino
This week on the Department of Tangents Podcast, a conversation with Allison Russell and JT Nero of Birds of Chicago, plus a preview...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP21: Twenty Years of “The State of the Industry” with Andy Kindler, Music from Birds of Chicago
For twenty years, Andy Kindler has been making hamburger of sacred cows with his State of the Industry Address at the Just For...... Read More
DoT Podcast EP 20: Comedian Nick Vatterott on Being Strange, New Music from the Chandler Travis Philharmonic
Nick Vatterott doesn’t like being strange for the sake of being strange. He won the Andy Kaufman Award in 2011, but he’s uncomfortable...... Read More
Spotify Playlist of Department of Tangents Podcast Guests!
If you’re a Spotify person, I have created a playlist made up of musicians and comedians who have appeared on the Department of...... Read More
DoT Minicast: Glenn Mercer On The Feelies New Album
The Feelies are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year with the release of In Between, their sixth album, on February 24 (look for...... Read More
DoT Podcast Ep19: All the Hyphens with Singer/Songwriter/Storyteller/Humorist Don White
I heard Don White on the radio long before I met him. He would tell these wonderful stories about his family, often followed...... Read More
Department of Tangents Minicast: Tall Heights on Neptune, Busking, and 2017
Tim Harrington and Paul Wright, better known as Boston-based folk duo Tall Heights, are taking a little time to breathe to start off...... Read More
Minicast: Interview Flashback – Nick Kroll and John Mulaney on “Oh, Hello”
Nick Kroll and John Mulaney are about to finish off their run on Broadway with Oh, Hello, on January 22. Since there are...... Read More