The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez

Oh god, oh shit, oh fuck it's ENDING! After our official finale with Matt Shearer, we decided to get back into the studio for a second After Hours (AKA 1304) episode with our dear, dear friend Haydn Kelley (Assassins), and for the TRUE FINALE! We ate a lot of sandwiches, played some songs, and we talked about a lot! Brady also had to "pee" a lot (bringing in surprise guest cameos) and we closed out the season with a full three-part cover of Geordie Greep's "Holy, Holy", our outro song for every single episode since the beginning. Take a listen and you won't regret it. Come share this final moment with us. Full disclosure: this is Brady and I'm really sad the season is ending, but! We may or may not be returning in the fall for Season 2, shhhh!

Originally recorded on May 2, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Haydn Kelley: @haydnkelley

Nick Carmenate: @nick.carmenate

Jesse Hudgens: @_jessoyoukn0w_

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Extra! Extra! Read all about our big finale! Our Season 1 finale* with Matt Shearer, AKA Reporter Matt, the famous Massachusetts journalist and Emerson alumni that absolutely knocked our socks off! Knocked it out of the park! Knocked us out of our sock park! What a delight of a gentleman, in the studio and out. We were genuinely stunned and so unbelievably excited to find out that he would be such a great sport as to come onto our silly little show. We talked to him about his process, his craziest encounters, and so many more stories he was willing to share with us along his escapades. In fact, he was such a great sport that he brought in an exclusive clip from his latest interview right here in Downtown Boston, a real-time recording covering a recent gorilla escape at Franklin Park Zoo. Y'ever hear about the gorilla Warfare, the one who climbed the Citgo sign with Mayor Wu? Uh, yeah. Matt was right there with some charismatic Boston natives. Listen in!

*"Finale" is a loose term, we've got one more (teehee)

Originally recorded on April 30, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Matt Shearer: @reportermatt

Ry Clark: @ry__clark

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Are you a man? Are you a muppet? Are you listening to the Sore Thumbs Season 1 Reunion Roundtable? Unfortunately, our plans this week with special guest Nick Shea fell through (too iShowSpeed Hollywood for us, I guess), but we were so thrilled to get an absolute day-one with us at the last minute: Archer Isaascon (Normalville)! What a damn talent, this guy. He can act, he can sing, he can play every instrument on the planet, and he can joke! Alongside Archer, we also brought in our friend Kai Lee (Bygones, Genesis) before we lost the chance this season. After our interviews, we rounded up as many of our previous guests as possible for an open-ended reunion discussion, hosted by English treasure Siegfried. We got all the hits: Richie Roxbury (now with the rest of his band, Poverty in Vermont, including their new drummer, Basil), Stobin (from the infamous Jill Maher Show), Q (formerly Cupid), Chudley Chudsworth (BBC), Obi Bamna, and more!

Originally recorded on April 23, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Archer Isaacson: @archerr.sage

Kai Lee: @_not_kai_

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Honk-shoo! Honk-mimimi! Cuddle up in your coziest blankets and candles and jammies. Listen to the extra-long, extra-special episode of Sore Thumbs: After Hours! Breaking precedent! Making history! Recorded from 11pm to 12:30am, Frankie, Brady, and long-time friend of the show and "force to be reckoned with" LILYELLA VENTURA get nostalgic and sing songs (including the latest draft of the Sore Thumbs theme song), all the while reestablishing their platonic love for one another. Also, 10th episode! They took us into the double digits! We also also get a teensy little interview between three mythical figures that visit children in their sleep: The overshadowed Toenail Fairy, monster under the bed Grizzly Sam, and the long-since-sanitized Sinterklaas!

Originally recorded on April 16-17, 2026 (teehee).

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Lilyella Ventura: @lilyella_ventura

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Hey gang! Get out and vote, and on your way there, bump this week's Sore Thumbs! It was an absolute pleasure, a riot even, to have Boston comedy veteran Rhett Sosebee (Improv Asylum, New Besties Podcast) in the booth with us today. We talked about comedy beginnings, Tapple, The Drama, and so much more before our breaking coverage of the early 2028 US Presidential debate: Derling Sterling (R) vs. Travis Phillips (D). Tune in to find out who is elected! And if you're "not political," stick around for special appearances from Beyonce, Mark Zuckerberg, and Dame Cornelius Butswipe III of the Vampire Republic.

Originally recorded on April 16, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Rhett Sosebee: @kiddolphin64

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Aloha! E komo mai! This week, we had a dear, dear friend of the show: CHARLIZE PILIALOHA GAUDIELLO! We gabbed and gabbed the live long day, but stepped out of the booth early to share our exclusive sneak peek at the first three episodes of the upcoming CW young teen drama Superhero School!

Originally recorded on April 9, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Pili Guadiello: @piligaudiello

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Happy Late April Fool's, everybody! For those who celebrate, enjoy the tomfoolery festivities with a fresh Sore Thumbs. Of course, we don't recognize the holiday so don't expect any pranks or hijinks today. In fact, we set aside the top of the broadcast today for a scathing interview with Emerson College President Jay "Jay Bird" Bernhardt. He's a really great guy, we swear! Where are you going?

The rest of our episode, it's just us! Our first no-guest, shoot-the-shit, sandbox episode! So get a feel for what it's like after we leave the booth.

Originally recorded on April 2, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Jay Bernhardt: @grilledcheesethursday

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

And the Oscar goes to... Brady, Frankie, and special guest Zoe Nathan for this week's episode of Sore Thumbs (Director's Cut)! Today's episode is all about movies! Word of the day: movies! As usual, along with our own conversation with Zoe, we brought on some keynote speakers to talk Oscars, favorite movies, least favorite movies, opera, ballet, and more. We were so lucky to have on the show famous actor Timothee Chalamet, esteemed film critic and historian Roger Cockwell, and Chloe, Zoe's own cousin coming all the way in from Maryland. Oh, and a surprise visit from friend of the show Avril Lavigne! Give it a listen, it's a fun one.

Originally recorded on March 26, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Zoe Nathan: @zoenmaya

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Well, la-di-da to you! It's Sore Thumbs' very first musical episode, with none other than our good friend and talented musician Sophia "Taylor" Taylor! We truly had a blast with this one. Goofed around, sang some songs, played some guitar. What more could you want?

And thanks to Taylor, we also got an exclusive roundtable spotlight on three nominees for the upcoming Singies Awards for 'Best New Artist': Jesse Ovary, Richie Roxbury (Poverty in Vermont), and Taylor herself! We voted for our own favorite song out of the ones performed in the episode, but we wish all of them the best of luck this awards season!

Originally recorded on March 19, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Sophia Taylor: @taylouer

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Hey friends! Sorry we missed you last week, but we were not throwing away our shot at an episode with the man, the myth, the baka himself: Nathaniel Oaks! This kid texts me two days before the show, saying he's available this Thursday and this Thursday only to make an in-person guest appearance. We had a whole other musical plan lined up with special guest Sofia "Taylor" Taylor, but you'll have to wait until next episode for that one.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun in the booth with Nate. We talked Hamilton, secrets, other Sore Thumbs shows ripping our style, and much much more. We also had a blast sharing our exclusive access to the NYCC Q&A panel for hit sci-fi fantasy series Console Wars, rich with cast/crew and flooded with passionate fans. And listen closely or you might miss a very special second surprise RETURNING guest! A familiar face already? We must be pretty sought after. I'm currently seeking representation.

Originally recorded on March 5, 2026.

WHO YOU HEAR (with Instagrams)

Brady Reynolds: @bradyfreynolds

Frankie Mendez: @frankiedez

Nate Oaks: @nateoaks_

Nick Carmenate: @nick.carmenate

The Sore Thumbs Variety Hour with Brady Reynolds and Frankie Mendez is a long-form improv comedy show between two friends and a rotation of special guests (Emerson friends, Boston-based comedians, musicians, etc.), staging ‘interviews’ between impromptu characters that meet and come to life in the booth, along with general off-the-cuff banter and musical performances. We want to cultivate for our listeners the feeling of being ‘in’ on an inside joke.

Sore Thumbs is recorded live from Emerson College in Boston, MA and broadcast live on WECB FM every Thursday at 2pm! Tune in if you feel so inclined, otherwise listen back to the episodes you missed right here!

This also means certain needle drops during the live episode have to be cut afterward for copyright reasons, so definitely tune in live if you don't want to miss out on our impeccable music taste.

For inquiries, if you are in the greater Boston area and would like to be a guest or perform music, email [email protected].

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.