Neir's Tavern is one of the oldest bars in the United States, yet you probably haven't heard of it. It's owned and operated by Loycent, a firefighter and community leader, who has withstood the challenges that come along with overseeing a small business throughout the pandemic. As an immigrant who has achieved the American Dream, Loycent believes in service and giving back. From the island of Jamaica, to DJ'ing, to the New York Fire Department to becoming a restauranteur, listen to his incredible journey right here.

To learn more about Loycent and Neir’s Tavern check out his Instagram @loycent. You can also log on to the Neir’s Tavern website here.

If you’re interested in the run group he mentioned feel free to check out Queens Distance Runners @queensdistance.

This episode was edited by Hannah Sunday. She’s pretty awesome and you can check her out here.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media here, @theechoreview.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There's also a little bit of crude language. Listener discretion is recommended.

This episode is dedicated to the part-time hitters and oper8ors; Guards and Reservists who put that work in. On this Veteran's Day, I landed an interview with meme gawd The Fratty Guard, who is legendary for making funny and insightful posts related to life in the National Guard. I got him to open up about military meme culture and his thoughts on TikTok.

If you want to learn more about The Fratty Guard, follow him here @thefrattyguard.

This episode was edited Hensley Petit. He’s pretty awesome and you can check him out on IG @hensley.sg.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media @theechoreview.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s some frank discussion about sex work in the episode, so listener discretion is advised. Also, this episode does not serve as an endorsement of anyone's political affiliations.

To learn more about Mike Itkis check out his website itkisforcongress.com.

This episode was edited Hensley Petit. He’s pretty awesome and you can check him out on IG @hensley.sg.

Also, Election Day is right around the corner. We encourage anyone listening to vote and take part in the democratic process. If you're in NYC, check out Vote.NYC for more info on how you can participate.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media @theechoreview.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s some frank discussion about sex work in the episode, so listener discretion is advised. Also, this episode does not serve as an endorsement of anyone's political affiliations.

I learned about Congressional Candidate Mike Itkis the same way most of us did: through military memes. Namely, their source was from Military.com. However, I decided to take a look at Itkis' background and found him to be intriguing. An immigrant of the Soviet Union, he attended some of the best schools in New York, had a successful career in IT and decided to join the army at the age of 40. That said, I realized there was more to Mike Itkis than a video, he was a unique being that had lived many lives before running for office. Here is part 1 of my conversation with him.

To learn more about Mike Itkis check out his website itkisforcongress.com.

This episode was edited Hensley Petit. He’s pretty awesome and you can check him out on IG @hensley.sg.

Also, Election Day is right around the corner. We encourage anyone listening to vote and take part in the democratic process. If you're in NYC, check out Vote.NYC for more info on how you can participate.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media @theechoreview.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own.

Someone very special to me recommended that I interview DJ Cilla BK for this season. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when I heard she was a firefighter turned DJ and LGBTQ activist, I was hooked. Judging by the conversation, she was always a DJ at heart and we had an enlightening discussion about what it means to be a creative at heart. 

To learn more about DJ Cilla BK and where you can catch her spinning, check out her Instagram, @djcillabknyc. To learn more about Haus of Madusa, check out their Instagram or their website here.

This episode was edited by Hannah Sunday. She’s pretty awesome and you can follow her on Instagram.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own.

Season 2 is here! We're kicking off season 2 with a conversation I had with actor and USMC veteran Diego Aguirre. Before he was an actor, he was like anybody else struggling to get a leg up in American life. As luck would have it that struggle led him to enlist as an 0311 in the Corps -- an experience which still influences him and the roles which he is drawn to. 

Follow The Echo Review on Instagram and TikTok. Editing for this episode was provided by Hensley Petit. 

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

To learn more about Diego Aguirre, check out his IMDB page. 

Season 2 of The Echo Review is here! This seasons theme is a resiliency and we'll be speaking with a variety of guests about what resiliency means to them. Hit the subscribe button and take listen to the podcast about uniformed members of service that do unconventional things.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own.

In the season finale, we have an honest discussion with Jadyn Ortiz, a sailor and exotic dancer who has a unique perspective on nightlife and military life. Having generated over 300,000 followers on TikTok, one might say she's a viral internet sensation. However, there's friction between her two professions and we break down why, and most importantly why there shouldn't be. 

Follow The Echo Review on Instagram and TikTok. Editing for this episode was provided by Joan Martinez.

To learn more about Jadyn Ortiz, check out her TikTok.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of those that produce and edit the series. Also this , this episode includes an honest discussion on mental health and includes mention of topics such as suicide and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. Also, if you or anyone you know has had talks of suicide we recommend you reach out to the national suicide prevention lifeline 1-800-273-8255. UPDATE: You can now dial 988 for the suicide prevention hotline.

Picking up at the last question from episode 8, we continue or conversation with artist and mental health advocate Mikayla. 

Follow The Echo Review on Instagram and TikTok. Editing for this episode was provided by Joan Martinez.

To learn more about Mikayla, check out her Instagram @mementosbymikayla. It features amazing portraits of people and places from around the country.

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of those that produce and edit the series. Also this, this episode includes an honest discussion on mental health and includes mention of topics such as suicide and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. Also, if you or anyone you know has had talks of suicide we recommend you reach out to the national suicide prevention lifeline 1-800-273-8255. UPDATE: You can now dial 988 for the suicide prevention hotline.

What does it mean to be a mental health advocate? What is borderline personality disorder? In our search to produce episode 8, we managed to speak with Mikayla, a USMC veteran, artist and mental health advocate who opened up about her work, experience and what led her down the path that she is on now.

Follow The Echo Review on Instagram and TikTok. Editing for this episode was provided by Joan Martinez.

To learn more about Mikayla, check out her Instagram @mementosbymikayla. It features amazing portraits of people and places from around the country.