This episode is coming out with five days left of the Die Jim Crow kickstarter deadline and they have hit their goal at the time of posting - yes!!! Please give if you feel moved to do so. This project is only getting started...

Doc Israel, one of the supportive forces behind Die Jim Crow, took a moment out of a busy Saturday to sit down with me to talk about the project and some of the raw issues behind the creation of this album. No matter how you feel about the racism of our prison system, this conversation is one to listen to with an open mind and open heart. 

To quote the Die Jim Crow website, 

Die Jim Crow is a concept album which is currently in production.

The album is written and performed by formerly and currently incarcerated black songwriters and singers from across the country.

The album title is inspired by Michelle Alexander's book "The New Jim Crow", which equates the U$ prison system to a modern day racial caste system similar to the old form of Jim Crow segregation in America.

The U$ has the largest prison and criminal justice system in the world, which targets black communities nationwide. After leaving prison, the "felon" label leaves folks stripped of basic rights such as housing, employment, voting, and education.

This Jim Crow-like system was accelerated by the war on drugs and the mass incarceration boom which began in the 1980s and continues to this day. In that time span, the U$ prison and jail population saw an unprecedented increase of over 400%, with black Americans being the most disproportionately affected.

The album addresses this human rights crisis through song.

Inspired by Pink Floyd's 1979 concept album "The Wall", Die Jim Crow explores the journey of the contributing artists through intimate first-person narrative, overarching political themes, and haunting musical through-lines. Fusing several genres of traditionally African American music, the album features rock n roll, jazz, blues, r&b, hip hop, and more.

EP release 5/1/16.
LP release 2018.

Candid shot of Doc Israel working on the music during a recording session

Mark Springer (collaborator), Fury Young (center) and Doc Israel (right) working with one of the prisoners

This one is well worth the wait!! Late last year, these fine and very funny ladies gathered around our fine producer David Lawrence Byrd's dining room table to discuss what it is to be a woman in comedy in NYC. The conversation is naturally hilarious, poignant, and deep. Special aural appearance by Coco the cat!

Kerryn Feehan is a comic, writer, actress and producer living in NYC. She produces and hosts the longest running (4 years) monthly all female stand up and burlesque show “Stand up and Take Your Clothes Off” the first Sunday of every month at The Kraine Theater.  Kerryn performs regularly at Caroline’s, The Comic Strip Live, Broadway Comedy Club, The Stand, and Stand Up New York. She is a recurring guest on The Real Ass Podcast, Keith and the Girl, Myka Fox and Friends, This Week in Jackin, Guys we Fucked, We the People, Hot Mess Comedy Hour, and Hard Lonely and Vicious podcasts. Kerryn is also a comedy writer who’s work can be seen on Reductress.com and The Loom for Someecards.com.

Rae Sanni is a comedian and writer from Brooklyn, NY who has been bringing her unique perspective on everything from pop culture to race and gender relations to audiences all over. Rae co-hosts the Three A-Negroes podcast and the monthly stand up comedy show LoudMouth!, and has been seen in the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Complex Magazine and on GQ.com,. You can find Rae on Twitter @Raesanni, where she muses on her love for Rihanna, NBA players, and being a black person.

photo Beau Alluli

Kitten Kent, Girl Detective has proudly co-produced and co-hosted Stand Up and Take Your Clothes Off! for over four years now, as well as performing in a variety of other shows. She also acts, most notably in the feature films Cut to Black andPrayer to a Vengeful God. She is a bewitching sorceress in the Milagres music video for the song "Glowing Mouth", and she appears in ad campaigns worldwide, including being the face of Tattoo Girl Lingerie.

There are people in my life that are so special, so loved and so dear to me that I often have to pinch myself to remind myself that our friendship is real. *BOB* is one of those people and I am so excited to bring this interview to your ears! *BOB* is one of the most incredible people I've ever met and if you've never heard her talk or recount her wild walk through life, prepare yourself for the richness of her persona and incredible life experience. It was such a treat to interview her and I wish you a gorgeous listening experience! To learn more about *BOB*, please visit her website at theworldfamousbob.com.

World Famous *BOB*, photo Leland Bobbé

World Famous *BOB*, known for her over the top blonde bombshell image and incredible ability to mix martinis in her cleavage, has captivated audiences all over the world with her unique burlesque stylings, humorous performance art, and MC skills.  She has been photographed by hundreds of photographers including Patrick McMullan, Mario Testino, and David LaChapelle. *BOB* appears in several books including Hotel LaChapelle, New Burlesque, Striptease: From Gaslight to Spotlight, Burlesque: The new Bump and Grind, The Brooklynites, and The Velvet Hammer Burlesque.  Believing that television is “the theatre for the poor” *BOB* is a huge fan of the boob tube and has appeared on A&E’s The History of Cleavage as well as HBO’s Real Sex.  She has graced the pages of over 50 national & international publications including The New York Times where they referred to *BOB*’s artas “poignant”.  The big screen suits *BOB* as well, her latest cameo being in John Cameron Mitchell’s film Shortbus.
Word Famous *BOB* is a regularly scheduled guest speaker at NYU and has performed and appeared at over 20 US Universities including Harvard, Yale, and Bard.  She is also a teacher at The New York School of Burlesque specializing in Drag Beauty Basics & Ultimate Self Confidence!  She has performed all over the world and starred in the last five Wigstock festivals.  From NYC’s Dance Theatre Workshop to Stockholm’s Sodra Teatern, World famous *BOB* has brought crowds together by pointing out what we all have in common- the need for love and creating that with her art in the moment. Her last solo show creation directed by Kate Valentine is entitled “One Man Show”- about a girl*who had to become a drag queen*to learn how to become a woman- *the true story of Miss World Famous *BOB*.  She is currently researching for her new show entitled "Granny Chaser" and has her own Confidence Coaching business with clients worldwide. 

The fabulous and marvelous Glenn Marla joined Legs for a beautiful and easy conversation about art, gender and love. He is amazing and this was a beautiful conversation - enjoy!!

Glenn Marla, photo by Erica Beckman

Glenn Marla is a Brooklyn-based performance artist, movement artist, writer, beauty pageant queen (Miss LES 2006 and the first ever Mr. Coney Island). The Portland Phoenix calls Glenn Marla’s work, “performance art that pushes the envelope without pushing the audience away,” Time Out New York Calls Glenn a “downtown prophet” and The New York Times calls Glenn “an obese transvestite in tights.” Read up on Glenn on his website ww.mistermarla.com

The incredible Carolyn Castiglia joined me for an honest and energizing conversation about comedy, feminism, being a mom, and hosting a badass late night feminist talk show among other topics. Carolyn is hilarious, intelligent and and overall excellent human being. I enjoyed our conversation so much and I think you will too! Find out more about Carolyn by following her on twitter (@missckc, @rightnowckc), Instagram (carolyncastiglia), tumblr (carolyncastiglia.tumblr.com) or by finding her onstage somewhere if you're lucky. Enjoy!

Carolyn Castiglia, photographer tba

This is an interview I have wanted to have for a long time, and it finally happened! Tom Tenney is the brain, the hands and the hard work behind the excellent internet radio station Radio Free Brooklyn. I managed to get him to sit down with me long enough to have an interview and I am so glad he did. I am amazed by what Tom has built and the incredible output he sustains. He even wrote a book on how to start your own radio station!! Check out Radio Free Brooklyn at www.radiofreebrooklyn.com (where you can also hear me multiple times per week!) and by all means, please buy his book!! You can check it out and order yourself a copy here - http://radiocookbook.com/

Tom Tenney, photograph by Ben Taylor

I had the enormous pleasure of interviewing the fantastic and extremely magical Matthew Holtzclaw for today's episode. He is full of magic and refreshingly down to earth - a hat trick if I ever saw one! Tune in for one fantastic conversation!

One of New York City’s most in-demand entertainers and consultants, Matthew Holtzclaw has been recognized as one of the top performers and technicians in the world of magic and special effects. Matthew's company The Artifice Group offers a fine selection of the best magicians working today; each unique and perfect for any type of gathering. To learn more, please visit www.matthewhotlzclaw.com

Matthew Holtzclaw, photographer credit tba

Porno Jim is a porn evangelist who preaches better orgasms through porn. This episode is not safe for work but it's a hell of a lot of fun!

Porno Jim is NYC's Professor of Porn, dedicated to helping men and women get more fun out of their porn experiences (better orgasms!).

PJ has been performing public and private shows where he teaches his audiences the difference between good and bad porn since The Porno Jim Show debuted as a theatrical comedy show at Surf Reality in March 2002.

Porno Jim‘s Website: www.pornojim.com

Porno Jim on Twitter: @pornojimnyc

Porno Jim, photographer TBA

The second part of our 2014 Poolcast (TM) recorded at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Pool Party in 2014 featuring flash interviews with burlesque stars and fans alike.

Recorded at the 2014 BHOF Weekender Sunday Pool Party, this episode features interviews with burlesque performers from all over the world along with a brief history on the Burlesque Hall of Fame with an excerpt of an interview with the late Dixie Evans! For more information on the Burlesque Hall of Fame, please visit www.burlesquehall.com. Tune in for some drunken showgirl revelry!