Fascination Street

Emmett KaiTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Emmett Kai. After growing up in a Sonoma County area farming community, Emmett decided to move across the country to New York City; to pursue a music career. In this episode, we chat about what it was like growing up in a rural community and trying to find his own specific musical identity. We cover Emmett's time as a DJ, and some of his other projects including DJ Blap Deli, Valley Girl Baby Powder, Young Maserati, and Unity Ambulet. We even discuss an unreleased project that hopefully will find its way to the public very soon. Finally, we talk about Emmett's newest album called Whale Milk. He shares some of the thoughts behind the meanings of some of the songs on this album, and he lets me play the first track from it. The song is called Holy Nitros, and is his favorite track from Whale Milk. Throughout our conversation, Emmett opens up about an artist's need to be seen and heard, gaining confidence, and his personal motto 'shut up and l

Tony Winters Returns!Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Tony Winters EVEN MORE! In this episode, we catch up on how his industry has changed since covid, and we touch on some of the plays he as been involved in; as well as a play or two he may have coming up. We discuss some of his past films & television roles, and he lets a tale slip about a Christmas film he has written and is in the process of getting produced. 'Something For Santa' promises to bring back some of the MAGIC to Christmas movies. Then we dive right onto Tony's new film. The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat will be released on HULU, August 23rd (by Searchlight Pictures). It stars: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, Tati Gabrielle, Uzo Aduba, Mekhi Phifer, and Tony Winters (as Earl). As always; Tony brings the fun to Fascination Street. Check out the film on Hulu, and enjoy this conversation with Pretty Tony!***Full video interview available on the Fascination Street Podcast YouTube channel***

Eve SelisTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Eve Selis. Known as 'The Queen of Roadhouse Rock"; I sat down with Eve to chat about her career, and her new album. In this episode, we discuss her early life as a young musician, and even how she got to have 'Eve Selis Day' in San Diego. She shares some pretty scary cancer stories, which is how she ended up in Nashville, and we discuss how art and trauma are tied to each other. I ask her about some of her previous projects, including Cactus Honey, King's Road, & 3 of Hearts. Finally, we get into her newest album called 'Dark Sky Blue'. Eve shares some of the traumatic events that influenced the songs on this album, and she even lets me play my favorite track from it. Dark Sky Blue is about unconditional love, loss, and the stages of grief. Eve explains all of that, and touches on some of those tragic events; and gives maybe the best answer ever to the age old question "Who is this record for?" Finally, she shares the story of a bald ea

Charlotte KirkTake a walk with me as I get to know Charlotte Kirk. Born outside on London, she had dreams of becoming an actress. So, she decided to move to New Yor City. That lasted about 6 months. Then she made the move to Hollywood! In this episode we chat about when she knew she wanted to be an actress, and why she chose Los Angeles. Charlotte is open and answers my many questions about her Dyslexia and her Asperger's. We discuss some of the challenges and some of the benefits of these conditions as they relate to her chosen field. We touch briefly on her Covid pandemic television binging, and then get into her projects. In 2021 she released The Reckoning, shortly after, she released The Lair, and available everywhere Friday August 9th is her new film DUCHESS. We talk about how hard it was to get this film made, and how much fun it was to kick some ass on screen. We talk about her 2 production companies; and why she needs two separate ones. Then we get into her 2025 release calendar. Next year she has FOU

S.M. Sykes (Scott)Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know S.M. Sykes. Scott Sykes is an author in the young adult (YA) fiction genre. In this episode, we chat about what his career was before he started writing, and what led him to eventually start writing his first novel. After serving in the U.S. Navy, and settling down in Delaware, Scot got inspired to pick up the pen. In addition to his THREE novel series (The Blue Series), Scott has written tons of novellas and short stories. You better believe I ask him to explain the difference to me! We discuss several different writing forums including Medium, and NaNoWriMo, and even some of his social media strategies. The Blue Series consists of: Eyes of Blue, A Dim Blue, and Loss of Blue. Scott thought the series was done there, but the story won't be laid to rest! Expect more books in the series from this tireless indy writer. You can catch Scott at various writing & horror conventions around the country, and don't forget to check out his

Scott R. JonesTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Scott R. Jones.Scott is a horror fiction author and "a genuine master of horror" (Ramsey Campbell). In this episode, we chat about some of his previous careers, and some of his writing all along the way; during those years. We discuss his creation of Martian Migraine Press, and what he wanted to do with it. We also delve into the gleeful Nihilism of the Lovecraftian Mythos, and the positively enlightening rabbit hole of Blacknosis. We move into gabbing about his first novel STONEFISH; where he tells me why he named it that, and what it is about (no spoilers). I let him know that he is my daughter's favorite author, and we touch just a bit on her boyfriend, Sasquatch. I ask him about his horror themed erotic fiction, released under a psuedonym; before finally, talking about his newest novel: DRILL.This new novel stems from his experience in & out of the Jehovah's Witness religeous grooup. With this novel, Scott reveals some of the m

Ricky DicksonTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Ricky Dickson. Having spent his entire working career at the Blue Bell Creameries; Ricky retired as CEO. In this episode, we chat about how he came to work for Blue Bell, a little bit of the history of the company, and how he rose to the rank of CEO. Along the way, we discuss some of the pitfalls he had to deal with. We also talk about some of the amazing successes, the effects of some natural disasters on the company as a whole, and some fun ice cream stories. I share the details of a trip to the Blue Bell headquarters that I took with my family some years back, and I pitch Ricky my own ice cream flavor! All of this was a blast. But the most important thing we discussed; was God's Plan for Ricky. All throughout the journey of his personal life and career. Ricky knew from an early age that God has something special in mind for him. We get into when he knew, and how hard it was to stay focused, and trust in God's Plan. Lucky for us, Rick

Noah AsherTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Noah Asher. Noah is a young man who grew up pretty involved in the church. Some things happened, and he ended up spending a little time in prison. While in prison, Noah found his life's purpose. He also wrote a book. In this episode, we discuss how he became involved with the church; even though most of his family was not. Then we dive into some of the events that led him down a path that would eventually lead to his incarceration. We jump around a bit and discuss everything from Zaxby's chicken to Chik-Fil-A, to Eeyore's birthday party, Lupis, and prison yoga. Noah also discusses his consultant company and shares some stories from being out in the field. Finally, we get into Noah's book. It's called 'Chaos: Overcoming the Overwhelming'. Noah tells me why he wrote it, who he wrote it for, and gives some book signing tips to new and upcoming authors. Anyone who has struggled with: religion, addiction, hope, illness, self-doubt, or adversity

Jaurice SmileyTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Jaurice Smiley. Jaurice had a pretty decent career as a professional gamer in the Smash Bros competitive gaming community. Afterwards, while in college, Jaurice decided to start writing young adult - science fiction novels. In this episode, we discuss his competitive gaming career, and what made him decide to become an author. We talk about his trips to several states; and how those trips inspired some of the locations for his writing. We also chat about his love of hip hop, specifically the unique sound of 'The Dirty South', and how this style of music helped inspire some of his writing. We do wander a bit while talking about his time in Texas, and his thoughts on some Texas delights like: Whataburger, Buc-ee's, and Trill Burger. Finally, we dive into Jaurice's writing. His first novel is called Tourian, and finds it's roots in an older video game called Metroid. He tells me what the book is about (NO SPOILERS), and some of the real l

Kinky Friendman 1944-2024In the summer of 2021, Kinky Friedman invited me into his home at Echo Hill Ranch; and graciously let me interview him. We spoke for 3 hours. We had shots. We laughed. He shared stories, and he  played (live) a song he had written just the night before. (Banjo, Sophie, and Me).Even though I did not "know" him, he had an impact on me. I shared my experience of that day with anyone who would listen. He let me play four of his songs, when I released that interview. He even PREFERRED that I use the Willie Nelson version of one of them. He was Kind.He was hilarious.He was rough, brash, sincere, & vulnerable.I have thought of my time with him often & will carry those hours with me forever. His interview is some of "my" best work. His 2 part episode rises above most of my endeavors. I have combined them for you (the listener) here.Thank you, Kinkster.Rest easy. -Steve

John KapelosTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know John Kapelos. You may know John as 'Carl, The Janitor' from the 1984 cult classic film: The Breakfast Club; but he is so much more than that! In this episode, we chat about him spending nearly a decade with Second City, his experiences on some of the greatest John Hughes films, and even his time as 'The Sniffing Accountant' on Seinfeld. We discuss how the show must go on, even after his father unexpectedly passed. John reveals the moment he found out that Emelio Estevez was the son of Martin Sheen, stories from the set of The Breakfast Club, and his scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off that got cut. As if all of this improv comedy and hall of fame acting isn't enough, John Kapelos also put out an album! It is called "John Kapelos: Too Hip For the Room"; and he lets me play a track from it. I think you're gonna dig it!John is a consummate professional, and he gets honest and vulnerable with me in this interview. I appreciate him for lettin

Aaron MarcusTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Aaron Marcus. Aaron is a veteran actor who has been in such acclaimed television shows as: Gotham, Mr. Robot, House of Cards, Rectify, Homicide: Life on the Streets, Halt and Catch Fire, The West Wing, Law & Order, and The Wire. In this episode, we chat about Aaron's odd route to becoming a commercial model, and how that led him to become an actor. He discusses some of the pitfalls in becoming a model and in becoming an actor. He gives a touching tribute to the late Andre Braugher, and then we jump into some nutty audition stories. Aaron shares a couple of stories about auditions, and so do I! Next we get into what Aaron's workshops entail, and why he does them. Naturally we cover his books: How to Become a Successful Commercial Model, and How to Become a Successful Actor and Model. He shares a fun story about auditioning for House of Cards an insane amount of times, before getting it. Finally, Aaron gives away some life changing adv

Jake BrennanTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Jake Brennan. You probably know Jake as the creator and host of the immensley popular Disgraceland podcast; but you are about to learn a bit more about him! In this episode, we chat about Jake growing up in Clinton, Mass. in the burgeoning punk / hardcore scene. We talk about his early musician days with Cast Iron Hike, and Bodega Girls, and what led him in the direction of music in the first place. One of Jake's bands even opened up for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at a Hometown Throwdown! We talk about Victory Records, Island Records, Def Jam Records, and even how George H.W. Bush and the C.I.A. are connected to Bob Marley. We touch on Helter Skelter and Chaos by Tom O'Neill, and how those two stories helped inspire Disgraceland. I get Jake to explain exactly what the hell a MELLOTRON is, and why he decided to rely on it for the opening of his music-based true crime podcast. Then we get into his years with Bodega Girls, and how that cam

Vinnie Tortorich #6Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know even more about SIX TIME guest; Vinnie Tortorich. Known in some circles as "The Angriest Trainer"; Cinnie is: a podcaster, an author, fitness guru, a celebrity trainer, a multiple business owner, and a documentary filmmaker. In this episode, we chat a little about why he wrote his best-selling book "Fitness Confidential", we touch a bit on his podcast "Fitness Confidential", and then get into some of his previous documentaries. Vinnie's first documentary is called "Fat: A Documentary" and was the best-selling film in the history of Gravitas Ventures. His follow up to that was "Fat 2" two years later. In 2022 Vinnie released his third documentary titled "Beyond Impossible"; where he did a deep dive into the meat substitute industry. We talk a bit more about this one, as it had some odd effects on his social media accounts. Finally we get to the goods. Vinnie's FOURTH documentary, in his words, "Goes right at the Keto community". Th

Charles AgronTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Charles Agron. Charles is a writer, actor, director, and producer of independent films. In this episode, we discuss his previous career as a Washington Lobbyist, and what made him get out of that business. Then we talk about why he decided to not only be an actor; but also a writer, and producer. He shares stories about working with some of the greats; like Ed Asner, Tobin Bell, and Lance Henriksen in his newest film Altered Reality. Along the way, we touch on a couple of his previous films like Dark Horse & Monday At 11:01 A.M. Finally, we get into why it is important to be a distributer with his company K Street Pictures, and where that name comes from. I ask him why he decided to distribute films like Alex and Eve, and Last Call; and at what point he got involved with those projects. Charles also explains what the Covid pandemic did to the box office numbers of one of these films. He does explain some paintings and artists at the

Chelsey Weber SmithTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Chelsey Weber Smith.Chelsey is the host of the amazingly popular podcast American Hysteria. In this episode, we chat about why they got a master's degree in poetry, and how that specific degree helps in their current career. We also get into the pitfalls of running a small business and how to avoid some of them. Next up, we jump into the podcasting world. We discuss their first foray into podcasting with the Behind True Crime podcast, and some of the struggles associated with that particular venture. I pry a bit into Chelsey's personal life; asking questions about being in a cult as a younger person, and what something like that does to a person's mental health. We discuss all kinds of things including: EST, Erhard Seminars Training, The Mayan Apocalypse, Ramtha, The Ramtha School of Enlightenment, JZ Knight, and Patty Hearst; before finally getting to Chelsey's podcast. American Hysteria is a podcast that covers everything from:

Joseph MillsonTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Joseph Millson. Joseph is an actor, a writer, a producer, and a poet. In this episode, we chat about how he came to be an actor, and some of the projects he has worked on, including Dragonheart, War Blade, The Amateur, and the forthcoming Signs of Life. We also touch on his writing career; which spans short films, feature films, and a memoir recounting stories from the first 10 years of his acting career. Naturally we discuss his lovely wife Sarah Jane Potts; and how she wins household arguments. Lastly, I dive into his recent short film called "Care (4k)" and he answers some questions that have been nagging me about it. All along the way, we talk about: the Rotic R, Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, poetry, whether Adolph Hitler was a Taurus in the Year of the Tiger, and a couple of characters called "Buck" & "Quid".Be sure to check out Joseph's book "Work - And Other Four Letter Words" available on Amazon. (Sometimes he puts the e

Landon BryantTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Landon Bryant. Better known on Instagram & Tik Tok as LANDON TALKS, and You Tube as LANDONTALKSALOT; Landon gained worldwide fame and attention as the ever cheery and inspiring face (and voice) of modern Southern culture. In this episode, Landon sits down with me to chat about his growing up in Laurel, Mississippi before becoming an elementary art teacher. Having fallen in love with teaching ALL subject with an artistic bent, everything changed when the 2019 Covid pandemic took hold. Landon's wife inspired him to share his extremely Southern stories, vocabulary, and charm with his 2k or so Instagram followers. Not lang after discussing 'Wal Mart High School', Landon Talks started to gain some momentum. As of now, his eye popping 420 THOUSAND followers on Instagram and over 100 THOUSAND followers on Tik Tok hang on Landon's every word. Excited to get the next dose of Southern hospitality, and verve! Landon explains how fast all of th

Rudy PavichTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Rudy Pavich. Born and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota, Rudy SHOULD have been a roofer; as his family owns a roofing company. Rudy decided to go another route. Spending 23 years in the radio business, he had a life changing event in his immediate family; then took a break. That break afforded Rudy the opportunity to focus his passion in another direction....... stand up comedy. In this episode, we chat about how and why he decided to become a comic, we discuss his time in radio a bit, and then we discuss some of the big breaks that have come his way. Rudy is also a film maker with a couple of short films under his belt; one of them having won the prestigious 'Louis Anderson Award' at the Minnesota Film Festival. This was the final film selected by Louis before his passing. Of course I take this chance to pitch my short film idea to Rudy, which he graciously plays along with. Rudy gives most of the credit for his growing fan base and various o

Chris WeathermanTake a walk with me down Fascination Street, as I get to know Chris Weatherman. Chris is well known in the Survivalist & preparedness communities. He is also a super successful author; penning both The Survivalist Series (Going Home) and The Charlie's Requiem series, and the host of the popular podcast Angry American Nation; which covers civil unrest in various countries around the world, as well as provides tips and skills to help keep you off the grid, and more self sufficient. In this episode, we chat about his early life and careers, before diving into what made him become an author, and why he chose to live and write in the survivalist space. He shares a couple of tips on how to be better prepared for natural disasters, and local civil unrest; if that day comes. He explains why it is important to be prepared to provide for yourself and your loved ones. Chris also shares his thoughts on hurricane preparedness, and names an item or two that every person should have at the ready.Be sure