Verge of the Dude

Verge of the Dude episodes:

• 03.19.2024

  Ode to Joan Baez

  Hey Dude, the other night I watched the Joan Baez documentary "I Am a Noise" and it struck me to the core. My new found reverence for Joan Baez is beyond measure. Plus I couldn't think of my favorite singer's...

  
• 02.17.2024

  Going Viral

  Hey Dude, I had a minor battle with COVID before I really went viral with a Star Wars post in a Generation X group on Facebook.  QUOTE: "A two-year-old has no context of anything..." PEOPLE: David Letterman PLACES: Hollywood Burbank...

  
• 12.31.2023

  The Day After Christmas

  Hey Dude, I left you a melancholy message about my crazy days before the holidays, along with a sad remembrance of my mom's last Christmas. QUOTE: "At least that's what I call the day after Christmas..." PEOPLE: Dean Whitbread, Doug...

  
• 11.17.2023

  Spoken Word and Music at the Hong Kong Cafe

  Hey Dude, the PBS documentary "The Chinatown Punk Wars" took me back in my mind to my best live performance at the Hong Kong Cafe. QUOTE: "I was totally free on stage." PEOPLE: The Dude, Karen Carpenter, Jay Leno, David...

  
• 09.02.2023

  Rebel Without a Reunion

  Hey Dude, the brewing storm inside my sobriety kept me from going to my North Hollywood High School "rebel reunion" for the class of 1984. I also riff on the weather. QUOTE: "The wind blowing kinda stirred my soul." PEOPLE: Sinéad...

  
• 07.22.2023

  The GLOW of My Great Uncle's FBI File

  Hey Dude, the FBI finally sent me the file on my Great Uncle Blayney. It's a 210 page mixed bag, but now I have a new angle to tell his story. I also recently binged GLOW and Ted Lasso.  QUOTE:...

  
• 07.02.2023

  Rebuilding My Engine

  Hey Dude, my life has been a real jigsaw puzzle, slowly put back together this past month. Not only does my truck have a rebuilt engine, I may have found my voice...again. QUOTE: "At first I thought it was going...

  
• 02.07.2023

  Star Wars Generation

  Hey Dude, I riff on the idea of "micro-generations" and make the case that I'm at the center of my own private "Star Wars Generation" even though I'm really a Rocky guy. QUOTE: "The wheelhouse crowd for Star Wars..." PEOPLE/ACTORS:...

  
• 11.27.2022

  Inspired by Annie Lennox (and Friends)

  Hey Dude, I was feeling deep blue until I saw a Facebook post from an old high school classmate, and later the video of Annie Lennox getting inducted into the Rock Hall. QUOTE: "Whenever I need to jump start my...

  
• 08.10.2022

  Remembering Thomas, Vin and Olivia

  Hey Dude, I fondly reflect on the passing of our beloved cat Thomas, the great Vin Scully, and the luminous Olivia Newton-John.  I also find time to whine about not making it on the radio. QUOTE: "A tear welled up...

  
• 06.01.2022

  Howard Hughes and The Americans

  Hey Dude, I riff and ramble about Howard Hughes and his dirty fingerprints all over the 20th century. I also admit to going on a 48 hour binge of The Americans.  QUOTE: "Another time, another dime." PEOPLE: Ray Liotta, Edward...

  
• 04.04.2022

  Radio Killed the Podcasting Star

  Hey Dude, while listening to KPCC on the radio, I heard a mashup episode of Snap Judgement and Love + Radio, featuring Nick van der Kolk interviewing Glynn Washington. The whole thing made me trip on the blurred lines between...

  
• 03.16.2022

  Kerouac 100, Anderson 17

  Hey Dude, I riff about the relative indifference to Jack Kerouac's 100th birthday by the popular culture, and how my 17th anniversary in podcasting was politely ignored. QUOTE: "He loves the word sad, I love the word sad." PEOPLE: Jack...

  
• 02.27.2022

  Shia LaBeouf and his So Called Mom

  Hey Dude, two years ago I was in a mad dash to pack my stuff to move out of the Zane Grey Estate, when suddenly actor Shia LaBeouf was standing in the middle of my messy studio apartment. QUOTE: "That's...

  
• 01.25.2022

  Joe Frank Experiment (Featuring Stan Hillas)

  BONUS EPISODE: A few years ago, my late friend Stan Hillas and I were working on creating a piece about radio pioneer Joe Frank in a Joe Frank style. Set in the mid-90's, the story is about an old girlfriend,...

  
• 11.05.2021

  A Year of Living Without Drinking

  Hey Dude, on the Day of the Dead I quietly celebrated a year without drinking. Meanwhile a random 50,000-Watt punch to the gut leads to a new lease on life. QUOTE: "Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink...

  
• 10.04.2021

  This Maker's Life

  Hey Dude, a bit of recognition for my photos by Descanso Gardens and The Arboretum paves the way for me to see Ira Glass in a new light, from "broken glass" to an arrow straight to the heart. QUOTE: "The...

  
• 09.08.2021

  Summer of '79

  Hey Dude, I reminisce about being a goofy 13-year-old during the  Summer of 1979, and the time I made Molly Ringwald's stunning older sister Beth laugh at my expense. QUOTE: "OP shirt, corduroy pants / If you had feathered hair...

  
• 08.10.2021

  Erle Stanley Gardner's Dictaphone

  Hey Dude, I riff about our new "barn" and the writing techniques of Erle Stanley Garner of Perry Mason fame. PEOPLE: Matthew Rhys, Al Matthews, Erle Stanley Gardner, Huell Howser, Caryl Chessman, Zane Grey PLACES: Elixer Coffeehouse, Cahuenga Pass,...

  
• 06.27.2021

  My Four Favorite Filmmakers

  Hey Dude, I answer your question about my four favorite filmmakers by listing their four best films. I also include plenty of tangents and a short list of honorable mentions. QUOTE: "That movie was freakin' awesome." FILMMAKERS: Francis Ford Coppola,...

  
• 06.11.2021

  Lost Chain Link Channel

  Hey Dude, I was on my daily walk "feelin' groovy" while thinking about the poetic writings of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, when all of a sudden I narrowly escaped a random act of violence. QUOTE: "That can...

  
• 05.29.2021

  The King of Summer Tours

  Hey Dude, on Bob Dylan's 80th birthday I listened to the Petros and Money Show and was reminded about the time I met Bruce Dern and gave him a bag of handmade keychains. QUOTE: "I was a bootleg part of...

  
• 04.18.2021

  Don Crackpot

  Hey Dude, while listening to a lot of mystery and conspiracy style podcasts, I've uncovered a host who has never seen the Godfather Part II. QUOTE: "It's like saying you've never seen Star Wars." PEOPLE: The Black Dahlia, Howard Hughes,...

  
• 03.09.2021

  Bittersweet Sixteen

  Hey Dude, on my 16th anniversary of podcasting I remember my long lost buddy Joe and his tragic passing. I also trip on the brutal Allen v Farrow documentary. QUOTE: "I'm ready to chase after Spalding Gray." PEOPLE: Woody Allen,...

  
• 01.31.2021

  Stage Time 1988

  Hey Dude, while working with my cousin on our future podcast, I was reminded of the time I did stand-up comedy at a family party. QUOTE: "I'm mortified." PEOPLE: stand-up comic PLACES: Greenwich Village, Los Angeles, South Bay, Long Beach...

  
• 12.31.2020

  Archie Bunker and the Magic of Art

  Hey Dude, I trip on the mystical magic of the artist with a little help from Carroll O'Connor and Dick Cavett. QUOTE: "Are you an artist or craftsman?" - Eric Gorges ARTISTS/PEOPLE: Orson Welles, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, S.J. Perelman,...

  
• 11.22.2020

  The Lonesome Podcaster (Original Scroll)

  Hey Dude, I riff and ramble about taking a second crack at the "podcast novel" using a new program that might really tie the room together. QUOTE: "When I first saw S-Town in my mind's eye." PEOPLE: Individual-1, Caryl Chessman,...

  
• 11.02.2020

  Cassavetes on Columbo

  Hey Dude, I express my deep love for the TV show Columbo after watching "pioneer of American cinema" John Cassavetes guest star alongside his friend and collaborator Peter Falk. QUOTE: "I started to measure time by how many Columbos"  PEOPLE:...

  
• 10.09.2020

  A Shaggy Passage to India

  Hey Dude, I ramble about my "fans" in Pakistan back in the year 2000 and my excitement about my new surge of listeners in India.  PEOPLE: George Clooney, Joseph Campbell PLACES: Pakistan, England, Europe, Scotland, Canada, Los Angeles Valley College,...

  
• 09.22.2020

  Our Dinner with Woody

  Hey Dude, I called to riff about recording my Uncle Woody's fantastic stories and to geek the enduring influence of the film My Dinner with Andre.  PEOPLE: Bob Dylan, Howard Hughes, Blayney F. Matthews, Jack L. Warner, Al...

  
• 08.14.2020

  Yosemite Fool's Gold

  Hey Dude, I riff and ramble about the time my dad and I dodged a bullet up in California Gold Rush country. PEOPLE: Tom Bopp PLACES: Zane Grey Estate, Yukon, Alaska, California Gold Rush Country, Yosemite, Mariposa, Oakhurst, Wawona,...

  
• 07.17.2020

  Marc of the Joker

  Hey Dude, I finally watched Joker, so now I can belatedly make amends to "podcast pioneer" Marc Maron for not coming to his defense against the comic book geeks. QUOTE: "Some people aren't in on the joke. That applies to...

  
• 06.03.2020

  Trump's Hair, Revisited

  Hey Dude, I rant about how Trump's hair alone was enough to disqualify him to be president. QUOTE: "My haystacks weren't tied down and I was beginning to fear the wind." - Bob Dylan (Chronicles Volume One) PEOPLE: Red Hot...

  
• 05.18.2020

  D.J. Bonebrake, Susan Sontag (and Bobby Doran)

  Hey Dude, while standing in the rain, I riff about three towering North Hollywood Huskies: musician D.J. Bonebrake, writer Susan Sontag, and artist Bobby Doran. PEOPLE: X, Erin Moran, John Williams, Garry Marshall, Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye  PLACES: North...

  
• 04.24.2020

  Video (Almost) Killed the Audio Star

  Hey Dude, I riff about my internal conflict between recording audio versus video. Plus I rant about bad pedestrians and Dylan's new song. PEOPLE: Ken Dougherty, Chef Todd Payden, Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, Bob Dylan PLACES: Glendale, Burbank, Theatre Row...

  
• 04.05.2020

  You Do You for 90 Seconds

  Anyways Dude, I riff about telling stories on video again, inspired by Story Salon. Then I trip on my cheap new voice recorder and the challenges of recording outdoors.  PEOPLE: Captain Crozier, Spalding Gray, Casey Stengel, Dean Sharp PLACES:...

  
• 03.30.2020

  Garden Studio in the Time of Covid-19

  Hey Dude, in my new garden studio, I ramble about everything from coronavirus to nudism. I also riff on Dean Sharp, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, the Beats and bidets.  PEOPLE: Dean Sharp, Patti Smith, Gregory Corso, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg,...

  
• 03.23.2020

  Sheltering in Burbank

  Hey Dude, I check-in from my new pad, where I'm hunkered down for who knows how long. I also riff on my plan to gather and share my family's trippy stories. PEOPLE: Joan Anderson, Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, Zane Grey ...

  
• 03.04.2020

  Zane's Last Stand

  Hey Dude, I finally say goodbye to the Zane Grey Estate with a wistful tear in my eye. I also riff on moving my stuff, cats, Tim Coyne and Grant Baciocco PEOPLE: Zane Grey, Tom Mix, John Wayne, Dan Klass,...

  
• 01.26.2020

  Flea the Fearless Frogman

  Ah Dude, the impending move from the Zane Grey Estate inspired a trippy dream featuring Flea and his shape shifting boogie board. CHARACTERS: Zane Grey, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Individual 1 MUSICIANS: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Billie...

  
• 01.10.2020

  Elvis, Bowie and Nicky

  Hey Dude, my old friend Nicky reminded me that she shares a birthday with Elvis and David Bowie, so I recall my abstract connections to all three rockers.  CHARACTERS: Zane Grey, Orson Welles, Jeff Slate, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Iggy...

  
• 01.04.2020

  Tiny Sparks of Joy

  Hey Dude, our impending move from Zane's forces us into a deep dive of downsizing. Only the sparks of joy are spared as we hatch our plan to ride the climate change wave in a tiny home. CHARACTERS: Zane Grey,...

  
• 12.22.2019

  The Pope of Coinstar Village

  Anyways Dude, I was cash poor so I took my gas can full of coins to the local Coinstar machine and metaphorical chaos ensued. I later found redemption by watching The Two Popes about the friendship between Pope Francis and...

  
• 12.15.2019

  A Little Piece of Art

  Hey Dude, I riff about how my friend Krissy Teegerstrom creates "a little piece of art" with her Beyond and Back Podcast. Then I rant "that just because you're a podcaster, it doesn't mean you're an artist." CHARACTERS: Zane Grey,...

  
• 12.07.2019

  Crazy Heart for Jeff Bridges

  Hey Dude, I cheered myself up by celebrating Jeff Bridges' 70th Birthday. It's a crazy heart of a call, that is both a fragmented and an incomplete recap of his amazing film career.  CHARACTERS: Zane Grey, The Dude, Cybill Shepherd,...

  
• 11.27.2019

  Requiem for the Original LA Podcasters

  Ah Dude, the other night I held a reunion of the "original" LA Podcasters that was more of a requiem. Also I realize that "nobody cares" is both a bad and a surprisingly good thing. Lastly, my long goodbye to Zane...

  
• 11.17.2019

  A Year of Calls

  Anyways Dude, I go back in time to search for the future, as I reflect on the past year of calls I made to you. Also I give thanks to those who've supported me along the way. CHARACTERS: Dan Klass,...

  
• 11.09.2019

  Rod, Sam and Patti

  Anyways Dude, I trip out on the abstract connections between my old friend Rod Sweitzer and Sam Shepard, with an assist from an artistic nude photo of Patti Smith shot by Robert Mapplethorpe. CHARACTERS: Fred "Sonic" Smith, Bob Dylan, Seth...

  
• 11.03.2019

  The Ghost of Halloween Past

  Anyways Dude, for years Halloween was my favorite holiday, now it just bums me out. You'd think if you lived in a "real" haunted house Halloween would be epic, sadly it isn't, at least not at Zane's. CHARACTERS: Santa Claus,...

  
• 10.27.2019

  Shine a Light on Palm Trees

  Anyways Dude, the recent Shine a Light exhibition at Descanso Gardens, specifically the multi-media installation, inspires me to want to do my own collaborative exhibit featuring my beloved palm trees. CHARACTERS: Carole Kim, Bobby Doran, Alex Schaefer , D.J. Bonebrake,...