Snackin' and Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy

Halloween candy, Care Bears nostalgia, school lunch pizza, and one very heartfelt conversation. Rossi Brown joins BIG Ben Kennedy in a Tenderheart Bear costume for a snack-filled Halloween hangout on Snackin' & Yakkin'.

The candy haul brings back classics like Sixlets, Smarties, Mary Janes, peanut butter kisses, Tootsie Rolls, candy corn, and Dad's root beer barrels. Ben and Rossi compare childhood trick-or-treating memories, debate which treats deserve a spot in the bag, and remember the school snacks that made pizza day feel like a holiday.

Between candy trades and stories, they talk Care Bears, Halloween costumes, scary movies, and the legendary cafeteria pizza they're ready to order by the case. Rossi also shares an update after the Middleton Cove apartment fire, and Ben reminds viewers that the community is still raising support for Rossi and his sister as they recover.

If you can help, Rossi's GoFundMe is: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-rossi-sister-after-fire Every contribution helps.

What was your favorite Halloween candy as a kid? Tell us in the comments, and let us know which treat you'd trade away first.

Happy Halloween, and thanks for watching!

Charleston comic Bobby Baker joins Big Ben Kennedy for Pizza Flavor Potato Chips, Root Beer, and a conversation that takes plenty of unexpected turns.

Bobby talks about hosting the weekly Monday open mic at Mon, producing his own variety comedy shows, and building a lineup that mixes stand-up, sketch, improv, and live music. He also shares how he got started in comedy, his plans for upcoming shows at City Lights Eastside, and why Charleston has more funny comics than many people realize.

Along the way, the snack talk wanders into cream soda, blue raspberry flavor, gas station road-trip favorites, and the fine art of Potato Chip Jenga. Then the conversation gets delightfully off track with old-school comedy, horror movies, new math, and the question every EMT exam writer should answer carefully: what do you do first when you arrive at a birth scene?

Catch Bobby Baker at a live show, find him on Instagram at: @bobbybakershow and get to know one of Charleston's comics on this episode of Snackin' & Yakkin'.

Fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, Dr Pepper, and a whole lot of good conversation. Big Ben sits down with Kiersten and Adrian of The Bake Lab to taste their soft, maple-glazed rolls and hear how a fun idea for extra travel money turned into a fast-growing Charleston bakery business.Kiersten and Adrian share the story behind The Bake Lab, their early markets and community events, and the flavors they're testing for fall, including sweet potato, butter pecan, and apple pie cinnamon rolls. Adrian also explains the milk bread technique that keeps their rolls soft for days, plus how customer feedback helps him fine-tune each recipe.Then the tasting begins. Big Ben and Kerri dig into the maple cinnamon roll, talk flavor and texture, and debate what might pair with it next. There's also a look at The Bake Lab's mini rolls and ready-to-bake holiday packs, plus a chat about local coffee shop partnerships, wedding plans, and a possible mobile bakery.Watch for the cinnamon roll talk, stay for the laughs, and meet two local bakers with plenty of ideas on the rise.Find The Bake Lab on Instagram: @bakelabchs

Crack packs, eat smoked wings, and talk shop with the people building Charleston's local gaming community. Big Ben Kennedy welcomes Zenergy Gamers owner Andrew Braun and Magic: The Gathering judge Mark Williams for a long hangout full of game-store stories, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles nostalgia, and plenty of cardboard.

Andrew shares how Zenergy Gamers grew through the challenges of opening just before COVID, why local game stores give players a place to meet and play, and how his shops make newcomers feel welcome. Then the crew opens Magic's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collector packs, checks out the cards, and gets sidetracked by classic Turtle movies, arcade games, and the eternal question of who the best turtle is.

There are smoked wings from **Home Team BBQ, a probiotic soda taste test, and a whole lot of friendly banter along the way. Stick around for the pack openings, the stories behind Zenergy's shops, and a look at what makes a local game store feel like home.

Find Zenergy Gamers on Facebook and Instagram at: @zenergygaming

Their locations include 1230 Red Bank Road in Goose Creek, 908 Bacons Bridge Road in Summerville, and Holy City Gamers Guild off Yeamans Hall Road.

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**Not a sponsor, but can be! Email [email protected] to find out how!

Charleston comedian Laura Dixon joins BIG Ben Kennedy for gluten-free banana bread, comedy stories, and a conversation that takes a sharp turn toward dolphin beef.

Laura looks back on the night she tried stand-up for the first time at The Sparrow, wearing a hot pink blazer and telling a five-minute story about getting her cat from a Domino's delivery driver. Since then, she's performed around the country, including at the North Carolina Comedy Festival and in Los Angeles, where she learned that the same joke can land very differently in a new room.

She and Ben talk about the Charleston comedy scene, finding fresh material on the road, and Laura's dream of writing sketch comedy for Saturday Night Live. Plus, Laura brings her homemade gluten-free, mostly sugar-free chocolate chip banana bread, and Ben is immediately sold.

The conversation also wanders through pumpkin spice, comedy and therapy, backstage stories, and a plan to get Charleston comics voicing a crew of gangster dolphins. The dolphins may or may not have beef with Ben.

Follow Laura Dixon on Instagram at @lauramdixon

Banana pudding, Cookie Monster, S'mores, and enough giant cookies to make Big Ben question his life choices. Episode 70 brings Urban Crumbs Charleston to the couch for a seriously delicious snack attack.Tiffany and Alyssa share the story behind their home-based cookie business, their Southern baking roots, and the family memories that helped shape their recipes. They also talk about starting with a folding table, selling out at a car dealership in 45 minutes, and turning late-night inspiration into a growing cookie business.Then the tasting begins.Big Ben samples a full cookie lineup, including: * Strawberry * Banana pudding * Cookie Monster, loaded with Oreo and chocolate chip cookies * Kitchen sink with caramel and pretzels * S'mores * Strawberry lemonade...and more!The cookies are soft-baked, thick, packed with flavor, and made in small batches under South Carolina cottage food rules. Urban Crumbs Charleston also offers special colors and seasonal designs, plus sugar-free options by request and shipping across the United States.There are family stories, Big Mama memories, coconut water, Sesame Street confusion, a little friendly cookie theft, and one very important discovery: the crunchy pieces in these cookies actually stay crunchy.

Cassie Burns stops by for big laughs, kettle corn, Michelob Ultra, and a serious love of movies on Episode 69 of Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy.Cassie hosts Comedians In Bars Getting Sloppy, a podcast that features Charleston-area comedians, local bars, and the wonderfully unpredictable conversations that happen when everyone gets "comfortable". She and Big Ben talk about building a podcast, supporting local venues, traveling for new guests, and why bar noise, motorcycles, and accidental tequila baths are all part of the production process.Then the conversation takes a sharp turn into movie territory. Cassie and Ben debate Die Hard as a Christmas movie, celebrate The Birdcage, revisit Back to the Future, The Matrix, Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary, Tropic Thunder, Only You, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and more. They also discuss Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Jim Carrey, Robert Downey Jr., James Marsden, Alan Rickman, and the magic of actors who can make a movie impossible to recast.The snack is kettle corn, because buttered popcorn gets everywhere and Cassie already knows her limits. During the Fast Five, she weighs in on sweet versus savory breakfast, hot sauce, burgers, fried green tomatoes, and other essential food questions.Expect movie theories, Charleston stories, podcast talk, childhood theater dreams, heckler anxiety, Savannah Bananas memories, Wonder Twin confusion, and enough tangents to fill a whole video store shelf.

Michael Clayton is back in the new-and-improved Snackin' & Yakkin' studio, and he's got a new album, a whole lot of movie opinions, and enough emotional reflection to fill several more episodes.

Michael and Big Ben Kennedy crack open Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters and Yoo-hoo while talking about Michael's comedy album Garbage Chic, the fake Men's Health magazine cover that somehow became the perfect artwork, and why movie theater snacks are basically a pouch inside a box inside another bad decision.

Then things get real.

Michael talks about losing his father, organ donation, grief, comedy, WrestleMania, and the strange ways a person keeps moving when life decides to throw a chair at them. There are some heavy moments, but there are also plenty of jokes, because sometimes the only way to survive a funeral is to remember the ridiculous parts too.

Also included:

* Breakfast for dinner, because Pancake Tuesday is a state of mind

* Unlimited tacos versus unlimited pizza

* Chocolate versus cheese, a question that nearly ends the friendship

* The proper way to eat movie theater snacks during a quiet horror movie

* Irish goodbyes and why they stop being rude if you do them every time

* Michael's father battling toll booths, white water rafting w/Jerry Springer, and a pet mountain lion

* A heartfelt discussion about comedy, audience comfort, and knowing how to land the plane

* The Rossi Brown benefit show and the Charleston comedy community coming together to help a friend

Michael Clayton is funny, thoughtful, a serious movie nerd, and Big Ben is somehow still willing to trust him with snack choices.

That should tell you everything.

Patti O'Furniture brings the wigs, the wisdom, and a serious love of orange slices to the Snackin' & Yakkin' sofa. In this lively conversation, Patti and Big Ben Kennedy talk drag, community, charity, South Carolina, and the snacks that keep a busy performer going.Patti shares how her unforgettable drag name came from a back-porch brainstorm, why she became a drag queen after a dare from her students, and how a college drag show helped launch a 27-year career. She also talks about hosting drag bingo at Pounce Cat Cafe, raising money for HIV support and local families, and creating welcoming spaces through performances across the Carolinas.The conversation gets personal as Patti discusses her family's history in South Carolina public service, her commitment to positivity, and the lesson she learned from a young artist named Sam: you never know who is watching, or how one kind moment can change someone's day.Naturally, the snacks get plenty of attention too. Patti introduces Ben to her signature Goldfish crackers and peanuts, shares memories of her mother's "nabs," and explains the very practical reason every bite needs to be small enough to protect the lipstick.There's also talk of wedding officiating, Patti's future book, celebrity encounters, Bill Murray, Brackish bow ties, old Pizza Hut buildings, and why finding your lane matters more than chasing somebody else's version of success.

Traci Doutaz returns to Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy for a heartfelt, funny, and unforgettable conversation about friendship, roller derby, cancer treatment, bucket-list adventures, and making the most of the time we have.

Traci, also known as Doutaz Mania, first appeared on the show in Episode 5. Now, 61 episodes later, she shares an honest update on living with stage 4 metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, weekly treatment, chemo brain, changing side effects, and her decision to keep skating with the Lowcountry High Rollers for as long as she can.

The conversation also includes plenty of Traci's signature humor, her Twilight tattoos, the story behind her "Baja Blessed" tattoo, stick-on eyebrows, memorable roller derby moments, and the origin of the famous "Mosquito" stickers. Over a bowl of Nacho Cheese Doritos, Traci introduces Ben to Kentucky's Ale-8-One ginger ale, including blackberry and pawpaw flavors.

Traci also talks about her "Goals Before I Ghost You" list, upcoming trips to Seattle, Forks, Salem, and a heavy metal cruise, plus seeing the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere in Las Vegas and visiting the Bacchanal Buffet.Ben and Traci share a candid conversation about medical anxiety, colonoscopy screenings, friendship, grief, hope, and why nobody should waste time on a bad time. The episode also includes an important reminder to schedule recommended cancer screenings and take your health seriously.

Support Traci's "Less Tragic, More Magic" GoFundMe at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/make-magic-for-Doutaz and help her check off some of the experiences on her list. Leave a message with your donation about what you'd like to help make possible, whether that's travel, a tattoo, a hotel stay, or gas for a special day with her dogs.