Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar

It is a pleasure to welcome Angel City Chorale's Artistic Director and Conductor, Sue Fink, to Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

In 1993, Sue brought together 18 singers at McCabe's Guitar Shop to form the Angel City Chorale. Now in its 30th year among the premier choral groups in Southern California, Angel City Chorale is proud to represent the spirit and diversity of Los Angeles in its membership, music, and outreach activities, thereby fulfilling its mission to "Build Community One Song at a Time." With over 180 talented and dedicated singers, the Angel City Chorale presents a broad and eclectic repertoire that includes classical, gospel, jazz, pop, and world music.

In 2018, Sue Fink led the Angel City Chorale as they competed in the long-running NBC talent competition America's Got Talent. They received the Golden Buzzer from guest judge Olivia Munn for their rendition of "Baba Yetu." Series creator and judge Simon Cowell praised them as "one of the best choirs we've ever had." The choir touched nearly 20 million viewers with its rich sound and compelling message of unity and diversity. The video of Angel City Chorale's cover of Toto's "Africa" has been viewed more than 80 million times by people worldwide.

The choir has performed at various venues, including Carnegie Hall, London's Cadogan Hall, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and South Africa's Cape Town International Convention Centre. They also recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and shared stages with Burt Bacharach, Dianne Reeves, Jeff Goldblum, Teri Hatcher, and Michael Buble.

In this edition of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Sue Fink previewed 30 Rocks and shared a behind-the-scenes story regarding their AGT experience.

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It is a pleasure to welcome radio personality Dave O to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

Dave O began his radio career in his hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, where he worked on the weekend overnight shift on the number one radio station KFRX at 16 years old. He continued to work on air throughout college before beginning his full-time radio career in the Top 30 market of Charlotte, North Carolina, where he worked for two years. Next, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2006 before landing his dream job in Kansas City radio, where he hosts the weekday afternoons on Mix 93.3, Kansas City’s Number One Hit Music Station, from 3 to 7 PM.

Over his career, he interviewed many celebrities, from recording artists Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez to actors Adam Scott and Rob Corddry. He previously hosted Round Trip with Dave O. This two-hour trip to the 1990s included songs from the decade and welcomed several of the decade’s top recording artists. Barenaked Ladies, C&C Music Factory, Jennifer Lopez, Lisa Loeb, and Third Eye Blind are several recording artists that visited the show until it ended in 2021.

In addition to music, he also loves talking about Kansas City sports. He launched Clubhouse Conversation, where he spoke with former Kansas City Royals players and staff members. He recently launched the KC Press Box with Dave O & Killian White. The show discusses sports headlines and teaches listeners how to make cash with sports investing!

I interviewed Dave O in February 2014 with his former Mix 93.3 colleague Nathan Graham. We reunited for a podcast interview for the first time in nine years. He spoke about the current state of radio and how Mix 93.3 welcomed several rising stars, including Justin Bieber, Lizzo, and Meghan Trainor. He also revealed his most memorable interviews and the state of Kansas City sports.

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Author’s Note: My conversation with Raymond Salgado was previously recorded before it was announced that he would be competing in Canada’s Got Talent: Season Two semifinals.

Canada’s Got Talent (CGT): Season Two Judges Auditions are over! Judges Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall, Lilly Singh, and host Lindsay Ell have seen hundreds of acts audition for a spot in the CGT: Season Two semifinals and 18 acts (including six Golden Buzzer acts) received an invitation to compete. Singer Raymond Salgado is one of the performers that will compete for Canada’s votes. Raymond was born and raised in Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The 24-year-old Filipino Canadian started singing in the pre-teens and felt ready to share his talent with the judges.

In the latest Canada’s Got Talent: Season Two Special Edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Raymond Salgado spoke about his performance of “Heaven,” which received a standing ovation from both the audience and judges. Plus, he shared the praise he received from Demi Lovato after covering her song: “Sober.”

Canada’s Got Talent airs on CityTV.

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Canada’s Got Talent (CGT)’s sophomore season’s Judges Auditions continue!

Hundreds have traveled across Canada to impress judges Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall, and Lilly Singh that they are worthy of winning CGT! Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar wants to thank the Canada’s Got Talent team for allowing me to welcome some of my favorite acts from the Judges’ Auditions.

Singer Maya Gamzu is the latest performer to visit the podcast. Originally from Israel, Maya began singing at three years old. In 2018, Maya’s family moved to Canada, where singing songs in English helped Maya learn the language and adapt to a new country. Today, she sings in four languages and calls Toronto, Ontario, home.

In this latest Canada’s Got Talent edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Maya Gamzu spoke about the decision to perform Christina Aguilera’s cover of the soul classic “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” which earned Kardinal Offishall’s Golden Buzzer.

Canada’s Got Talent airs on CityTv.

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It is an honor and privilege to welcome Teck Holmes to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

Teck became a household name when he appeared on the eighth season of MTV's iconic Reality TV show The Real World: Hawaii. Following his appearance on The Real World: Hawaii, he appeared on Challenge 2000, on Team Real World as they faced off against Team Road Rules, which consisted of show legends such as Dan Setzler, Veronica Portillo, and Yes Duffy. Teck and Team Real World won three challenges, and he received $6,830 from the team's bank account.

After the show, Teck dove into the entertainment industry. In 2000, he hosted MTV's daily interactive hip-hop program: Direct Effect and DFX Presents: Jay-Z's Roller Ball. He also guest-starred on numerous TV shows, including Friends, The Hughleys, NCIS, and The Parkers. Teck also starred in several films, including National Lampoon's Van Wilder (alongside Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, and Kal Penn), First Daughter (alongside Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton), and Truth Be Told (alongside Blair Underwood and Regina King). In 2010, he hosted Cartoon Network's revival of Hole in the Wall.

In 2021, Teck Holmes returned to The Challenge universe to compete in Paramount+'s The Challenge: All-Stars' first two seasons. During the first season, Nehemiah Clark eliminated Teck from the competition during the Going Out of Tile arena game. However, his luck changed during the streaming series' sophomore season. He defeated Steve Meinke in the "Switchback" arena game and made it to the All-Stars 2 finale. However, Teck withdrew from the game due to his partner, Ayanna Mackins, feeling mentally and physically exhausted.

In this edition of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Teck Holmes reflected on the almost 25th anniversary of The Real World: Hawaii and returning to compete on the inaugural two seasons of Paramount+'s The Challenge: All-Stars. Teck also spoke about the lessons he learned on the sets of The Hughleys, The Parkers, and National Lampoon's Van Wilder and his mentor Marlon Wayans's advice regarding working in the comedy world.

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Canada’s Got Talent (CGT): Season Two’s Judges Auditions continue!

Hundreds of acts from across Canada auditioned for judges Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall, and Lilly Singh. The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar brand is very grateful to the CGT team for allowing me to have the opportunity to welcome my favorite acts who auditioned for the judges. Dance crew Cool Giraffes are the latest act to visit The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

The Cool Giraffes are a high-intensity street-dance crew from Edmonton, Alberta. While the crew prides themselves on their strong work ethic – they also believe in having fun and creating lasting memories together. In this special Canada’s Got Talent edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Cool Giraffes’ team directors Randall Mella and Thomas Boivin spoke about choreographing their Canada’s Got Talent routine how the group was able to impress the show’s resident dance critic Howie Mandel.

Canada’s Got Talent airs on CityTV.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.

Canada’s Got Talent: Season Two (CGT) Judges’ Auditions continue!

Hundreds of acts from across Canada auditioned for judges Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall, and Lilly Singh. Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar is grateful to the CGT team for allowing me to have the opportunity to welcome my favorite acts who auditioned for the judges.

The Quebec-based Conversion Dance Crew is the latest set of performers to visit the podcast. Under the direction of Vincent Desjardins, the Conversion Dance Crew uses unique shapes, movements, and incredible storytelling to captivate audiences. In their audition, the dancers’ contemporary routine encompassed Vincent’s son’s heartbeat. Their performance received a standing ovation from the CGT audience and the judges. Also, they received a Golden Buzzer from Trish Stratus, who was moved to tears by their routine.

In this special CGT edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Conversion Dance Crew director Vincent Desjardins spoke about preparing his students to perform the emotional routine and how he reacted to his students receiving the Golden Buzzer while he was in Saudi Arabia.

Canada’s Got Talent airs CityTV.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.

Author’s Note: If you or anyone you know are suffering from a mental health crisis, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

It is a pleasure to welcome Rebecca Folsom to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Rebecca believes every lyric, note, and musical collaboration carries the capability to change the world. With her tender ballads to full, fiery vocal release, the singer-songwriter aims to emote an array of emotions with each song. Rebecca has had the pleasure of appearing on BBC television and raid entertaining an audience of 1.5 million, performing at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado as well as the historic Opryland in Tennessee.

Her previous album, Extraordinary Days, debuted with the song “Better Times,” landing at the number one spot on the National Folk Radio DJ Chart and spending five months on the Top 50 National Americana Country Radio Chart. Her recent single, “Sanctuary,” received high praises as a semi-finalist in the 2021 International Songwriting Competition and a finalist in the 2021 International Acoustic Music Awards. In addition to her musical releases, she has written and published two books of poetry (Silver and Your Life is a Masterpiece), created numerous fine art paintings, and has spent the better part of her life guiding others on how to become a better version of themselves as a transformational teacher and leadership coach.

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Rebecca Folsom shared several stories behind the songs of her new album: Sanctuary. She also spoke about the Sanctuary Project, which is a musical collaboration between writers, musicians, and producers that inspires deep listening, human equality, and peace.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.

Canada’s Got Talent: Season Two (CGT) Judges Auditions continue!

Hundreds of acts from across Canada auditioned for judges Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall, and Lilly Singh. The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar brand is very grateful to the CGT team for allowing me to have the opportunity to welcome my favorite acts who auditioned for the judges.

Magic Ben is the latest act to visit the podcast. He became interested in magic when a magician performed at his parent’s wedding. Ben was mesmerized by the performance and asked his father how the performer did his tricks, and his father challenged him to find the answers himself. He started looking up how to do tricks on YouTube. Still, with no authentic sources in Nunavik, Magic Ben relied on perseverance, using school to practice performing tricks for his classmates – with various degrees of success. At 11 years old, he started competing at the Michele Cailloux International Magic Contest, where contestants must create routines from scratch and show it to the judges. Ben was a finalist six times, and while he did not win, he gained the respect of his peers.

In this special CGT edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Magic Ben shared his origin story and his reaction when judge Kardinal Offishall walked off the set during his audition.

Canada’s Got Talent: Season Two airs on CityTV.

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It is a pleasure to welcome Dan Walsh to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

Born and raised in North St. Louis, Missouri, Dan began comedy in 2004 while deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. During downtime, Dan would perform for fellow Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors to maintain morale. Dan also spent 14 years as a pro wrestler on the independent circuit, which helped form an even more robust understanding of crowds while performing. From 2007 to 2010, he appeared on various MTV competition shows.

He starred in Road Rules 2007: Viewers’ Revenge as a part of the Pit Crew. Next, he moved on Real World/Road Rules Challenge, where he competed on The Island and The Challenge: Cutthroat. On Cutthroat, Dan was on the Grey Team with longtime friend Abram Boise and future show legends Cara Maria Sorbello, Laurel Stucky, and Sarah Rice. While he was on the team, they won three challenges, but Red Team member Dunbar Merrill sent Dan home in the Gulag challenge: “Die Hard,” near the end of the season.

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Dan Walsh spoke about his Road Rules casting story, appearing on one of The Challenge’s controversial seasons: The Island, and how his experience on that show saved his life. He gave his take on some of the late-night television’s most prominent emcees and spoke about working in the stand-up comedy world.

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