August 13, 2026

Riff 101 - Sometimes music ain't about the music and comedy shop talk

We cover a lot of important ground in this episode, assuming your definition of “important” includes pets behaving like tiny freeloading roommates, rock musicians attempting to communicate with the International Space Station, and comedians discovering that technically any location becomes a comedy club if somebody puts a microphone in it. We talk about the strange bargain of pet ownership, the glorious excess of rock concerts, and what happens when comedy escapes the controlled environment of an actual comedy club. Along the way, we get into audience interaction, stories from onstage and backstage, and the mysterious way music can unite a room full of strangers without requiring anyone to understand what the drummer is doing. Our conclusion: music really is its own language, performers should enjoy themselves when they play, and most shows are just “a show.” Unless something goes terribly wrong. Then you have a story.

Also available on Apple Podcasts ↗