Stand-Up Memories

Michele Traina joins Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling and Peter Bales on More Stand-Up Memories for a funny, honest, and high-energy conversation about comedy, reinvention, divorce, motherhood, teaching, and turning real-life chaos into material. Michele is a comedian, performer, writer, educator, and creator of Divorce Diaries, her nationally touring one-woman comedy show built around the hilarious and painfully relatable realities of life after divorce. Known for finding the funny in the messy parts of being human, Michele brings a fearless, fast-moving style that blends stand-up, storytelling, and real-life survival instincts. In this episode, Jackie and Peter talk with Michele about building comedy from personal experience, life on stage, parenting, dating, teaching, and why sometimes the best punchlines come from the parts of life you never planned. It’s comedy, confession, and controlled chaos — which, frankly, is usually where the best stories live. Featuring: Michele Traina Hosted by: Jackie Martling and Peter Bales Presented by: More Stand-Up Memories #MoreStandUpMemories #MicheleTraina #DivorceDiaries #JackieMartling #PeterBales #StandUpComedy #ComedyPodcast #ComedianInterview #ClassicComedy #WomenInComedy

This week on More Stand-Up Memories, Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling and Peter Bales welcome the one and only Coach Tom Whiteley — a high-energy comic whose larger-than-life personality has been cracking up audiences for decades. Known simply as “The Coach,” Tom brings his unique blend of sports, teaching, and old-school stand-up chaos to the show, sharing stories from the comedy circuit, unforgettable gigs, and the madness behind his legendary stage persona. From performing at iconic clubs like Dangerfield’s, Foxwoods, and The Borgata to appearing on ESPN, Coach Tom has built a career on turning everyday life into a full-contact comedy experience. Expect hilarious behind-the-scenes stories, comedy war tales, quick-witted banter, and the kind of unpredictable moments that make More Stand-Up Memories feel like hanging out backstage at a comedy club after hours. If you love classic stand-up energy, comedians who truly lived the road life, and conversations that spiral from heartfelt to completely unhinged in seconds… this episode delivers.

This week on More Stand-Up Memories, Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling and Peter “The Professor” Bales welcome Teddy Coluca — a true New York performer whose journey runs from stand-up comedy to a long, steady career in film and television. You’ve seen him in everything from The Blacklist to Only Murders in the Building, but before all that, he was out there grinding as a comic, learning the business the hard way. Teddy brings stories from both sides of the stage — what it takes to survive in comedy, what changes when you cross into acting, and what never really leaves you once you’ve been a comic. It’s honest, it’s funny, and it’s the kind of conversation you only get from someone who’s lived it.

He’s a comedian… a magician… and the guy who helped bring WiFi to the middle of the ocean… this week on More Stand-Up Memories, we welcome Glenn Farrington. Glenn Farrington isn’t just blending comedy and magic on stage—he’s lived a life that feels like a series of plot twists. From performing for live audiences to playing a behind-the-scenes role in helping connect cruise ships to the digital world, his story is anything but ordinary. In this episode, Glenn shares how his journey took him from sleight-of-hand to signal bars at sea—helping make onboard WiFi a reality for cruise lines—while still building a career that keeps audiences laughing and guessing at the same time. It’s a conversation filled with road stories, unexpected turns, and the art of misdirection—on stage and in life. Because sometimes the biggest trick… isn’t the one you see—it’s the one happening behind the curtain. If you like your comedy with a twist—and your stories with a little “how is that even possible?”—this episode delivers.

There’s something electric about a comic who’s lived a little… and then decided to laugh about it. Episode 26 of Stand-Up Memories brings in the bold, unapologetic, and wildly entertaining Deb D’Amore—a comedian who doesn’t tiptoe around life… she dropkicks it into a punchline. Deb’s story isn’t just about stand-up—it’s about transformation. From real-life experiences that hit hard, to finding her voice on stage and owning every inch of it, she brings that rare mix of grit, honesty, and humor that makes you lean in and laugh a little louder than you expected. Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling and Peter “The Professor” Bales sit down with Deb for a conversation that swings between hilarious, heartfelt, and just the right amount of unfiltered. You’ll hear about her journey into comedy, the moments that shaped her, and what it really takes to step up to the mic and tell the truth—with a twist. It’s raw. It’s real. And it’s really funny. Because sometimes the best comedy doesn’t come from writing jokes… it comes from surviving the story. 🎤

This week on Stand-Up Memories, we take a turn off the beaten comedy path… and into a story that spans history, humanity, and the power of preservation. Our guest, Richard Hurowitz, is an author, historian, and humanitarian whose work explores the moments—and people—that shape the world we live in. He’s the author of “In the Garden of the Righteous”, a powerful book that uncovers extraordinary acts of courage during one of history’s darkest times. So what happens when you drop a historian into a room with Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling and Peter “The Professor” Bales? You get something unexpected. A conversation that moves between laughter and legacy… between punchlines and perspective. Because while comedians preserve moments on stage… Richard preserves the stories that might otherwise be forgotten. It’s still Stand-Up Memories—just zoomed out a bit… from the stage to the world. 👉 If you love great storytelling, surprising conversations, and episodes that hit a little deeper… this one delivers. #StandUpMemories #RichardHurowitz #InTheGardenOfTheRighteous #Storytelling #HistoryMatters #ComedyPodcast #JackieMartling #PeterBales #HumanStories #PodcastEpisode

This week on More Stand-Up Memories, we sit down with Vinny D'Agostino — and his story is not your typical path to the punchline. Before the stage lights… before the microphones… before the green rooms and late-night sets… Vinny was an FBI agent. Let that sink in. We talk about the leap — from federal investigations to standing in front of a brick wall with a two-drink minimum. What shifts inside a person when you go from building cases to building sets? From reading suspects to reading crowds? Vinny opens up about the mindset it takes to operate in high-stakes environments — and how that discipline, awareness, and psychological insight unexpectedly translate to comedy. Turns out, reading a room isn’t all that different from reading a witness. Timing is timing. Pressure is pressure. And both worlds demand presence. We explore the courage it takes to pivot careers so drastically, the reactions he got when people found out about his past, and how those lived experiences shape his voice on stage today. It’s not just a career change story. It’s about identity. Reinvention. And realizing that sometimes the second act is the truest one. From badges to belly laughs — this one’s a ride. And yes… we do ask if anyone ever feels nervous heckling a former federal agent.