Diner Night Diner Night

Finally, a hero of the Diner comes over to sit down and talk with Hannah, Matt, Taylor, and their guests. Robert Ball, whose daughter overcame a ceiling fan to the head, gives Taylor a preview of his future while the gang plays with his adorable baby. Other events in this eventful podcast: Zac Oberg (comic and writer) reads his poem that made Hannah and Taylor cry once, Alex Pete (improvisor for Black Sheep Improv) makes a teacher cry while doing a bit, and Matt Albani's dad almost gets eaten by a barricuda. Overall, we talk representation in writing, influences on our creative development (read as: people we stole ourselves from), politeness, the similarities in all stories, Majora's Mask and the kamikaze, the responsibility of a creator to relate to their audience and peers, being a jock, P. Diddy, Superman, and so much more.

In the words of Robert Ball, "Jade! Take the baby, they're dealing with creativity!"

The gang sits down to discuss music's simultaneous fragmentation and unification in society, relationships with obsessed people, hip-hop history in Athens, and MC Freeman's fear of Play-Doh. Gems like Matthew Albani's spot-on Beastie Boys impression, 61ack4eart's position as twenty one pilots' lawyer, rhythmic poets eating cheesecake, and one horrifying Dairy Queen story really make this episode shine. You'll never eat Dairy Queen the same way again: that's the Diner Night Guarantee.

A lifelong dream is fulfilled for guest host Chase Montavon, Black Sheep Improv member, and guest Babs Jewell, founder of the Gluten-Free Alliance, when their love for NPR and podcasting translates into their very first appearance. They rise to the challenge admirably, with the conversation revolving around Billy Blank, P90x, diet, allergies, high school summer gym, bad teachers, vomit slang, The Presidential Fitness Test, ill-advised and detailed descriptions of crushes, and French Toast Crunch. Come on down to the Diner.

Sam Francis, new member of Black Sheep Improv and distant figment from Taylor's past, guest hosts on an evening of talk about sad French teachers, hitting people with cars, the need to accept the good in oneself, peeing hunched over, Hannah's March Madness success, control issues, fear, and Skyline Chili. But no podcast is complete without a good guest and Nicolette Anderson, our usual waitress and all-around awesome person, drops in before her shift to talk about artistic creation and the behind-the-scenes stuff that makes the Diner so wonderful/horrifying. Don't miss this episode that is (almost) free of audio issues (it's not.)

Guest Host Ryan Priestle, host of his own podcast entitled Bits Of Priestle, and Conor Morris, Editor-In-Chief of Speakeasy Magazine, sit down at the Union Street Diner with Taylor, Matt, and Hannah to discuss many things, including journalism, mothers, leadership, advertising, Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver, the WWE, Daddy Day Care, and much more. All audio issues can be attributed to Ryan's inability to grasp the concept of speaking into a microphone. Enjoy!

This week our guests are Evan Swingle and Helen Cothrel. We talk about NERDS NERDS NERDS. Helen runs an online nerd blog called Beta Fish Magazine (betafishmag.wordpress.com), and Evan just really likes Iron Man and diner food -- the combination is magical. Evan is also one of our best friends, and the brains behind the original, Thursday night diner night. Other topics broached include horror movies, carafes of coffee, and a special, sad surprise at the end. Apologies for microphone issues: Hannah's computer was on the way toward dying. Matt and Evan are in and out, but the podcast is otherwise listenable. Rest assured, they said great things.