Human Reset

Eric Johnston joins Steve and Ace on Human Reset for a wide ranging conversation about growing up around wrestling, carrying his family's show business legacy, and turning personal trauma into comedy and storytelling. He talks about building a career as Hamilton's comic, balancing fatherhood with a nonstop touring life, and why his work across stand-up, social media, his book, and his TV show all lead with honesty.In this episode: Eric shares how a childhood surrounded by wrestlers, road stories, and larger-than-life personalities shaped his instinct for storytelling and performance. The conversation also covers his book, Run with the Bull, his TV project of the same name, and how he has become an unexpected voice in men's mental health by speaking openly about addiction, grief, and resilience.

• Eric explains that he was "born into the circus," growing up around wrestlers, entertainers, and colorful characters who came through his family's home in Stoney Creek.
• He says the biggest lesson from his childhood was that the best storytellers held the most attention, which helped shape his identity as a comedian.
• Eric reflects on his father's wrestling career, his mother's steady work, and how the family dynamic balanced road life with a stable home life.
• He describes his father's funeral as a profound community gathering, with stories from people whose lives his dad had changed.
• Eric talks about branding himself as Hamilton's comic and being proudly rooted in the city rather than chasing success by leaving it behind.
• He compares Hamilton's cultural identity to the Tragically Hip's relationship with Canada, saying he wants to be the comic who made it from here and stayed here.
• He breaks down the making of Run with the Bull, a book that blends hard facts from family history with his own childhood perspective.
• Eric explains how the book opened the door to deeper conversations about alcoholism, grief, and the impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent.
• He shares how his planned documentary became a book first, after Netflix and Vice passed on the project, and how that led to the TV series Run with the Bull.
• He talks about making comedy and trauma work together by following serious moments with humor, so the audience stays open and engaged.
• Eric discusses fatherhood, burnout, and how touring now has to fit around being home for his son and wife.
• He explains that he handles everything himself as an independent comic, including booking, promotion, contracts, merch, and show setup.
• He talks about joke theft in comedy, how material becomes a "death sentence" if stolen, and why his best material is so specific to his own life that it can't easily be copied.
• He closes by explaining that his live show, book, social media, and TV work all share the same mission: tell the truth and help people laugh through hard things.

Connect with Steve Denyer:

• Follow along on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stevethecomebackdad/

This episode focuses on Rick Zamperin's path from newsroom work to becoming the voice of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and a co-anchor on CHCH Morning Live. He also talks about Hamilton's sports culture, the role of community in broadcasting, and how self-critique, burnout, and resilience shape his work.

Rick shares how a lifelong passion for play-by-play grew out of childhood hockey nights, road hockey commentary, and years of learning the craft in small markets before landing bigger opportunities in Hamilton. The conversation also covers Hamilton's evolution, his favorite venues and restaurants, and advice for staying grounded when life changes unexpectedly.

• Rick explains how watching Hockey Night in Canada with his grandfather helped spark a lifelong interest in sports storytelling and play-by-play.
• He describes early "practice" as a kid, narrating street hockey games from goalie and turning everyday play into live commentary.
• In broadcast school at Fanshawe College, he learned both old-school reel-to-reel editing and digital production, which taught him the value of craft and detail.
• Rick walks through his early career stops in Chatham, Fort McMurray, Welland, and Brantford, including the job loss that eventually led him to Hamilton.
• He shares how CHML's community-first culture gave him room to grow into news, sports, and eventually the morning sports role.
• The 2007 opportunity to become the voice of the Tiger-Cats was a major turning point, and he describes his first broadcast as a true "made it" moment.
• Rick reflects on Hamilton's sports identity, arguing that the city has moved from wanting "major league validation" to valuing local teams that build real community.
• He talks about the city's growth, especially in research, healthcare, food, and sports, while still keeping its blue-collar edge.
• He discusses how criticism from Hamilton listeners keeps him sharp and how self-review after each show pushes him to improve.
• Rick explains why CHML's closure was painful but also how it opened the door to CHCH Morning Live, proving that one closed door can lead to another.

Connect with Steve Denyer:

• Follow along on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stevethecomebackdad/

Steve and Ace sit down with Brian West, the longtime Y108 afternoon host and Chorus Entertainment voice, to talk about how radio actually works behind the scenes. They cover his path into broadcasting, how playlists are built, why improv matters on air, and how he balances family life, mental health, and a demanding schedule.In this episode, Brian shares how he went from high school co-op and basement band tapes to full-time radio, voice work, and multiple daily shows. He also opens up about burnout, thick skin, and why the live connection with listeners still matters even in the streaming era.

• Brian West explains his daily schedule across multiple shows, including a recorded at-work shift in Barrie and live afternoon drive shows in Hamilton and London.
• He looks back on major milestones at Y108, including his 10-year anniversary in 2023 and his long run with the station after returning in 2013.
• Brian shares how a high school co-op placement at a radio station led to Algonquin College and a career in broadcasting.
• He breaks down why on-air delivery should feel conversational, not scripted, and why bullet points work better than reading full sentences.
• The conversation covers how radio has adapted to streaming, including station apps and CarPlay, without losing its core audience.
• Brian explains that playlists are carefully researched and programmed, with music directors balancing eras, tempo, familiarity, and Canadian content requirements.
• He talks about how local and indie bands get considered for airplay, including the role of promotions teams and program directors.
• The group discusses Hamilton's music scene, small venues, and why intimate rooms often sound better than big arenas.
• Brian opens up about burnout, family pressure, and the challenge of staying positive on air even during personal stress.
• He shares mental health strategies that help him reset, including exercise, walking, and using radio as a form of distraction and therapy.

Connect with Steve Denyer:

• Follow along on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stevethecomebackdad/

For more than a decade, Dolly Daggerz, Tokyo Taboo's frontrunner, has refused to stay neatly inside one genre—or anyone else's expectations. In this episode, she joins Steve to get into the weeks of the 13-year evolution of the UK alternative rock band, the realities of keeping an independent music project alive, and why artists should be able to get loud and provocative without having their credibility questioned.

The band's latest release, WINGS, emerged from a recent painful period in Dolly's life. After being publicly targeted online, she found herself struggling with shame, anger, and a sense of powerlessness. Songwriting offered a way to reclaim some of that power. The result is a dark but defiant track about self-sabotage, transformation, and using external contempt to fuel growth. The iconic lyric, "Your hate pushed me higher," speaks to Dolly's search for gratitude within a deeply traumatic experience.

In this vulnerable and wide-ranging conversation, Dolly gets candid about alcohol, mental health, misogyny, and the tools that have helped her through difficult times—from therapy and exercise to letting the anger out with writing. Through it all, one philosophy remains constant: artists deserve not just respect but celebration for the weirdness they show the world.

Glimpse behind the scenes of Dolly's unapologetic rock star perspective:

• Why Tokyo Taboo keeps changing genres—and why continuous evolution is part of the point;
• How distance can turn trauma into stronger songwriting;
• What sobriety changed for her about performing, training and creativity;
• The double standard facing female-fronted bands, provocative performers, and women who refuse to water themselves down.

Engage with Dolly Daggerz:

• Follow Tokyo Taboo on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tokyotaboo
• See Tokyo Taboo in concert - https://www.bandsintown.com/a/5639225

Connect with Steve Denyer:

• Follow along on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stevethecomebackdad/