Six Feet Of Separation

It's been less than 3 months and a total of 25 episodes here at Six Feet of Separation, and for the first time your hosts bring their high-wire act to you without any guests, and wrap up this first season of the podcast. They touch on BLM, COVID, love and pain, and we learn what separates Joel Jackson from Joe Jackson. We're going on a planned hiatus for a little while, but until we get back… remember to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

Prior to the COVID lockdown, Agnese Daverio could contentedly focus on her day job - producing the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. But the lonely, slow pace of the lockdown in the UK left her re-evaluating everything going on around her, making new observations that are even more poignant in light of the race-related protests in the US and around the world. She joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about what's going on right before our eyes. Meanwhile, Joel is optimistic that changes in policing have already begun, while Andrew laments the piecemeal application of civil rights from one jurisdiction to another. Remember to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

Ben Sandmel has literally written the book on iconic portions of Louisiana's unique music culture, from Zydeco to his opus on Ernie K-Doe. But we asked him to come on in his capacity as an admirer of the culture to discuss his feelings about life here during COVID and whether there's any reason to be optimistic. Ben also gets into his experience as a member and producer of the legendary Hackberry Ramblers. Meanwhile, post-George Floyd America is on fire and Joel and Andrew dig into their feelings about where we are as a society and what might come next. Remember - wherever you are - to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

Every country has taken a different approach to how it's managing COVID-19, but Sweden has stood out for eschewing mandatory lockdowns and keeping schools, restaurants and bars open. Or has it? Old friend Richard Sandenskog, who lives outside Stockholm, joins us to give us a view from the ground, correct our misconceptions, and give us an idea of how Sweden views the rest of the world. Meanwhile, Joel regresses to watching cartoons and Andrew takes up a cliché hobby. Remember to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

Dwayne Breashears spent 18 years as Program Director of beloved New Orleans radio station WWOZ, during the course of which his roots tapped in to ever wing and facet of the local culture. Dwayne drops by the show (virtually, of course) for a wide-ranging discussion about how the culture will survive, how he’s dealing personally with the crisis, and the post-George Floyd/Christian Cooper state of race and racism in our country. Meanwhile, Joel learns a new 25-cent word and Andrew makes his first venture out into the Phase One reopening. Remember to stay safe, y’all, and keep ya distance.

New Orleans entrepreneur Blake Haney built cherished local brand Dirty Coast from scratch and continues today to explore and build new and exciting projects. Blake joins the show today to talk about how he's had to make changes on the fly, how the crisis has given him some space to explore new opportunities, and about the outstanding time recent joyriders had in his car. Meanwhile Joel wonders why anti-maskers don't want to be superheroes anymore, and wants to go back to the jungle for Round 2 of the Rumble.

Stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) has been on the front lines of the war to preserve the music, art, and street culture of New Orleans for years. MaCCNO Director Ethan Ellestad drops by to let us know how the organization has pivoted to help musicians and others hurt by the COVID downturn, and talks about what will need to change as things go back to a new normal. Meanwhile, Joel hangs out at Bayou St John while Andrew dreams of fried pickle chips while driving by the RIvershack Tavern. And the hosts go meta: it's an all-podcast Crisis Diversions.

Remember to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

We last talked to Molly McGee around Easter, just as the COVID crisis was reaching its first crest in the New Orleans area, and learned of the enormous stress the crisis was putting on our health care system. Now, as things start to cautiously open up around the country, Molly updates us on how things have changed, what we can look forward to, and most importantly, how local cat Luna Tuna Fish Bone is adapting. Joel sees hope for local musicians on the porches and neutral grounds of New Orleans, while Andrew engages in some very (un)necessary retail therapy. And we all find out the importance of learning how to Quarantine & Chill.

Remember to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

Many of us take our connectivity for granted, but could you imagine what the COVID-19 lockdown would be like if we didn't have the internet? The reality is that only about half the world's population has reliable, affordable connectivity - and Facebook is actively working to change that. Facebook exec Francisco Varela is on the front lines of their connectivity initiatives, working with partners in emerging markets to get people connected to critical information in the time of social and physical distancing. Meanwhile, Joel belatedly embraces emojis and Andrew wonders whether the piecemeal global reopening will just land us back in the same place. And we learn how used car shopping can be a long-lasting crisis diversion. Stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.

Michelle Ingram is the top dog (arf!) of Zeus Rescues, a New Orleans organization focused on saving and re-homing abandoned and abused cats and dogs. She drops by to tell us how the lockdown has impacted pet rescue, fostering, and placement. We learn about the Underground Railroad for rescue pets, the nationwide spay/neuter moratorium, and the mysterious-sounding Black Dog Syndrome. Joel and Andrew fess up to their own COVIDiot hypocrisy moment, while everyone agrees the post-millennial generation should be called 'Generation Zero.' And we try something new: Lil' Homie's Seven Silver Linings of COVID. Remember to stay safe, y'all, and keep ya distance.