Papa's Basement

Two bad neighbors.

I've known the Kriksciuns for a long time, since I was shoved into a gifted and talented class at age eight with their son, Al. This past Christmas, I spent a ton of time mooching delicious, homemade snack food off of them, and that sort of thing doesn't go unrewarded by this hungry, hungry hippo. Longtime listeners might remember Eva Kriksciun, who has done several episodes of the show previously. We're joined by her dad, Tom, and they both spill the beans on all sorts of family horrors as I cackle like Robin Quivers. Hope you like.

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

I own multiple Taylor Swift books and a cat that looks like a melon covered in a raccoon pelt: I'm more than qualified to dispense advise.

Most of you who have listened to the show in the past year are familiar with Shawn Westfall, my improv teacher, friend, and the owner / operator of DC's Unified Scene Theater. Shawn got it into his head that we should do a live podcast show, titled "WTF Is Wrong With You?", where we would get the audience to come on stage with us, share their demons, and we would try to help them out.

As it turns out, every audience member's demon was "alcohol" and the demons won. Hard. But that made for a pretty funny live event, if I do say so myself. We plan on doing more of these in the DC area, so if you have been a fan of the show and want to get in on an episode, please check out social media for the next live taping at the Unified Scene Theater of WTF Is Wrong With You?

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Shawn Westfall - @ShawnWestfall

Unified Scene Theater - @UnifiedSceneDC

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

I own multiple Taylor Swift books and a cat that looks like a melon covered in a raccoon pelt: I'm more than qualified to dispense advise.

Most of you who have listened to the show in the past year are familiar with Shawn Westfall, my improv teacher, friend, and the owner / operator of DC's Unified Scene Theater. Shawn got it into his head that we should do a live podcast show, titled "WTF Is Wrong With You?", where we would get the audience to come on stage with us, share their demons, and we would try to help them out.

As it turns out, every audience member's demon was "alcohol" and the demons won. Hard. But that made for a pretty funny live event, if I do say so myself. We plan on doing more of these in the DC area, so if you have been a fan of the show and want to get in on an episode, please check out social media for the next live taping at the Unified Scene Theater of WTF Is Wrong With You?

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Shawn Westfall - @ShawnWestfall

Unified Scene Theater - @UnifiedSceneDC

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

Life of a baller, alcohol and booty calls.

Hey guys, I got Lasik last week and my vision is still crap, so forgive any typos. I talk about the experience with Bill Rohland and we also debate Ariana Grande. I'm not sure what else was there, as I recorded this like a week ago. It's funny. Enjoy.

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Bill Rohland - @BillRohland

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

Life of a baller, alcohol and booty calls.

Hey guys, I got Lasik last week and my vision is still crap, so forgive any typos. I talk about the experience with Bill Rohland and we also debate Ariana Grande. I'm not sure what else was there, as I recorded this like a week ago. It's funny. Enjoy.

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Bill Rohland - @BillRohland

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

Hey ladies. Sup?

I suffer big time from ADD and, to this day, look for ways to increase my attention span that don't involve daily 50 mg doses of Dexedrine. I figured meditation couldn't hurt, and found a place that offered what I thought was going to be a Sunday meditation service. Instead, when I showed up, I was greeted by something not at all secular and not at all air conditioned. Hear the story of how that turned out, and tons of other random anecdotes and jokes on the latest episode of Papa's Basement, which you can also catch at a live performance in DC on Dec 19th at the Unified Scene Theater!

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Shawn Westfall - @ShawnWestfall

Howard Flood - @BasementHoward

Shawn's Unified Scene Theater in Washington, DC - @UnifiedSceneDC

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

Shawn Westfall hosting a show at his Unified Scene Theater. He only dressed up to that degree because the character he was playing did. It isn't a supper club. Which, apparently, is what I think of when I think "fancy."

Shawn Westfall of the improvisational Unified Scene Theater in Washington, DC co-hosts with me (the episode was also recorded at his venue) to discuss topics as varied as why consumerism is the root of all evils (7:30 minutes into the episode) ,why Bohemian Rhapsody, as well as all other musical biopics, are doomed to disappoint (20 minutes) and if technology is going to doom us all (17 minutes). But don't worry: We go out on a happy, high note as I relate to you the story of a truck stop, a Rottweiler, and a monkey with a baseball bat (43 minutes). There's tons more we cover, but those are the highlights of the latest episode of Papa's Basement. So get listening, get sharing, and, if you live in Washington, DC, check out a show at Shawn's venue!

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Shawn Westfall - @ShawnWestfall

Shawn's Unified Scene Theater in Washington, DC - @UnifiedSceneDC

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

Here's comedian Robert Kelly holding a framed piece designed by this episode's guest, Comedy Artwork Brian. Not pictured: Me, three inches out-of-frame, to the side of Bobby's left arm. That's not even a joke: I really was there and Brian cropped me out of the photo. Why did I have him on the show again?

If you're a fan of stand-up comedy, Judd Apatow , or read any one of a number of high-end, non-Swank publications, you've seen the artwork of this episode's guest, Comedy Artwork Brian. Brian's a friend of mine who has enjoyed an awesome career designing all sorts of promotional material for all sorts of entertainers, and he was kind enough to swing by the studio and tell me how he got into his field, as well as share some great stories about the fascinating people he's had a chance to work with. We also discuss 90 Day Fiancé a disgusting amount, but at least we can be proud of the rest of the episode.

Follow this episode's cast on Twitter!

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Comedy Artwork Brian - @ComedyArtwork

If you truly love the show and realize money talks more than kind words (fine, we like kind words, too), donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Some of the rewards aren't bad! Or buy a shirt at Redbubble so people you walk past in the mall can ask you what a Papa's Basement is.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

Oh, a ginger woman is possibly a psycho killer. STEREOTYPES SHATTERED!!!

A few days ago, two friends who are members of the staff at the studio where I record a lot of episodes of this show (Fairfax County Public Access) suggested I review a horror movie for Halloween and recommended the Netflix original film Apostle. Weirdly enough for my ADD ass, I actually went through with it and we talk about the movie, Netflix in general, and the real-life experiences some of those in studio have had with cults. And no, that's not a reference to my involvement with improv.

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

If you truly love the show and realize money is the only way to show that, donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Or buy a shirt at Redbubble, and become a walking advertisement for my creative aspirations at the cost of $20.

"If I open my mouth like I'm sucking off Bruce Lee's ghost, it'll make it look like I have only one chin."-John Papageorgiou

The episode title is a line from the Colin Farrell - Nicole Narain sex tape from 2003 because I'm timely. This is a funny episode starring radio vet Bill Rohland, though I remember none of the specific content because I recorded it four days ago and abusing cough syrup in my youth has left my brain with Olney's lesions big enough to use as a Habitrail. But I laughed when I was recording it. Not manic laughing, like a Bond villain about to end the world, nor laughing that gives way to crying because you're trying to suppress something awful. It was good laughs.

John Papageorgiou - @PapasBasement

Bill Rohland - @BillRohland

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Papa's Basement in your browser or here to open and listen in iTunes (you can also use the embedded player below). And, if you want to see our faces that very clearly are fit for radio, you can watch videos of our episodes on YouTube

If you truly love the show and realize money is the only way to show that, donate on a monthly basis to the show via our Patreon. Or buy a shirt at Redbubble, and become a walking advertisement for my creative aspirations at the cost of $20.