Dr. Lisa Gives A Sh*t

Copy: David Cote is a theater critic, playwright, and opera librettist who has written for numerous publications such as 4 Columns, Observer, The A.V. Club and Time Out New York. He’s written popular companion books about the Broadway hits Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Wicked, Jersey Boys, and Spring Awakening. His operas have been produced in New York, London, Nashville, Chicago, and Cincinnati. In his past life as an actor, he worked with Richard Foreman, Richard Maxwell and Iranian exile auteur Assurbanipal Babilla. He is also one of three artists taking part in the inaugural Ecker Fellows Program at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, which aims to explore connections between psychoanalysis and art — therefore he is a perfect guest/patient and our session does not disappoint. David is from a tiny town in New Hampshire—Gilmanton Iron Works, which has a population of 3,945 (it was about 2,200 when he grew up). Grace Metalious’ scandalous bestselling novel and TV show Peyton Place was inspired by the

This is the sixth year in a row that Ben Louis has been my first guest of the year. I absolutely love starting the year this way. Ben is a beacon of positivity. Five years ago, when I first met Ben, he was an intern at Radio Free Brooklyn. We all knew he was on his way to big things. I think it's taken more patience and hard work than he could have originally imagined, but today I think Ben is pinching himself thinking, "Is this my life?" and it's poised to get even better. Ben is working with his radio heroes and interviewing celebrities like Vivica A. Fox, Chaka Khan, Babyface and so many more. Also Ben has just had a one-year anniversary of living with his girlfriend, Scarlet, and it's going great-fun to hear about too! If you go back to the first episode in 2018, the very beginning of Ben's radio career, you can hear Ben has just fallen in love with radio and it's disrupting his life—his girlfriend had just dumped him—if only Ben could have looked into the future at that moment— More about Ben @benlouisra

Robert Galinsky’s had a very rough couple of years with his father growing up. His father had undiagnosed depression which as we discussed, he worked through and resolved.   His childhood experiences motivated him to heal and help others has given him a more than full life as an artist: an actor, a writer, director, teacher, coach. Galinsky's suburban life drew him to find out directly how struggling people lived. Galinsky has been running youth writing workshops in Riker's Island for the past 7 years, so he helps us imagine what life is like in Riker's; the teens who are held there what they dream of, how they got there, what they hope to accomplish upon release. After this session, I felt that if there were more Galinsky's and if there was a pipeline for people to become Galinskys, the world would be a better place. When asked about this, Robert says, we're a consumer society and we don't have the will to deal with these issues. I agree, but I will think about incarcerated teens differently because of our t

The Fuzztones were born in the summer of 1980, in the bowels of New York City's Lower East Side. "Alphabet City" to be exact. Rudi Protrudi and Deb O'Nair had moved there from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, five years earlier, with their band Tina Peel . Das Fürlines from New York City, USA were an influential, all-female "punk-polka" band in the mid-1980s, renowned for their rousing performances. Contents 1History 2Members 3Albums 4References 5Further reading 6External links History[edit] Das Fürlines appeared on the US TV shows Entertainment Tonight and Andy Warhol's 15 Minutes in 1985, and released their debut album Das Fürlines Go Hog Wild on their own label, Palooka Records. Their next album, Lost in the Translation (1986), was a lot more contextual than Go Hog Wild. In 1988, they released a concept album, The Angry Years, which was inspired by the self-help book Women Who Love Too Much. They split up acrimoniously in 1988 after a spate of betrayal and infighting during a tour. They release

Artist Scooter LaForge is a delight. To be honest, I somehow felt like connecting with him on this show was healing for me-now who’s the shrink!? Scooter’s work is amazing and so instinctual- he cannot not do it. Even though he’s worked with big names like he is as humble as can be. So much to learn from his perspective—growing up as a gay man in a tiny town in Arizona. I have to say I was envious hearing of all the free-range outdoor time he had, but alas the town, it’s sounds really small and devoid of gays which means a pretty homogenous group of people (boring!) Scooter is the best of what an artist is—someone fueled by their work and satisfied because of it. He complimented me a lot, so I’m going to give him an A as a guest rating. Follow and learn more about Scooter HERE: https://www.scooter-laforge.com/ Instagram @scooterlaforge @scooter_laforge_a_life_of_art/ BIO: Scooter Laforge began his love affair with art at a very young age while growing up in the small town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. His burnin

I had dropped into Brklyn Comedy Club on my way home recently and caught this comedian, Edward Farrell, performing and I loved his act—it was highly original as was his character on stage. When I got home I looked him up and found out he owned 2 bars and the club that I saw him perform in! I got in touch with him and voila‑he was on the show! I dug in heartily and got to know Edward a bit through this session. He’s an introvert with an extrovert’s career. He’s from a long line of self-starters. He’s had mentors like Steve Lewishttps://stevelewisdesign.com/clubs We delve into how he’s gotten to where he is and took a look at where he’s heading. His club is great. If you like comedy-check it out.

Tom Gallo of Look at My Records describes Sean and his new album better and more accurately than I can: "SEAN SPADA is the real deal, a hard-working, consummate-pro piano everyman who would never dream of insultingly patronizing the sad sacks at the bar because clearly he identifies with and counts himself among the sad sacks at the bar new album The Wild Ride… but either way it's a ride that never flies off the rails thanks to the ever-present guard rails of Sean’s sensitive, skillful piano playing to the point where I’m moved to proclaim The Wild Ride the world’s first psychedelic piano lounge yacht-rock-run-aground rock operetta, a character study of a piano man who may be “Set Up To Self Destruct” but who’s nonetheless “Getting on the Highway” with predictable results perhaps but all the more stirring for seeing it coming..." I've know Sean for a while and his music/music career has evolved in a pretty exciting way. He's got mad skills! The visualization of his music in his videos have added a serious cre

Christian made a repeat visit to RFB so we could talk about his family history, which is pretty complex. You can see how it does make sense that he's a comedian though—a sharp sense of humor is a testament to his survival skills! His younger brother was born when Christian was 8 and his older brother was 10. His younger brother was born with a serious heart ailment which by necessity became the focus of his parents. His mother had Borderline Personality Disorder and was super dramatic. Let's just say this was hard on his dad too. His parents split up. Christian father enrolled Christian into a boarding school for performing arts when he reached high school age which set him free—well somewhat. This is an inspiring story of a resilient young man who became a successful comedian with a fantastic marriage in spite of a dramatically difficult beginning. Subscribe to Christian Finnegan's new Substack: https://newmusicforolds.substack.com/ and keep you up to date with his expertly curated new music. I listen to ne

 Kate Stremoukhova is a talented artist and commercial photographer/videographer in business with her husband, living in Kyiv, Ukraine until 6 months ago. This session with Kate is so remarkable because I found her so relatable and she was very generous in sharing her experience living through bombings, leaving her home there and finally getting to NYC. She hasn’t seen her husband since she left as he is still in Ukraine. When she left her home, she only expected to be gone a few days and she has yet to be back. She is currently waiting for the paperwork so she can go back and see her husband. This session is very moving; Kate made real the surrealistic nature of not being able to imagine a war and then one day you are in it. Kate has gotten some work here and is helping teach art to Ukraine high school students who have moved here and are in a school that is half American and half Ukrainian. She does not have a concrete plan yet, which is unsettling yet freeing at the same time. Dr. Lisa was grateful for thi

Michael is an amazing LA comic here for a week of shows in NYC. His presence is a delight on stage but its his writing that supreme -extremely smart and original. We learn that Regilio has had a problem seeing out of one eye since birth and had to wear an eyepatch until around the age of 7. He grew up in a strict Catholic household where he was the king of outsiders in school. You'll have to listen, but there's so many crazy hijinks that happened because his school decided he was gay (he's not-though he is a sincere, hearty ally) and told his parents. He got beat up and bullied a lot. All this to say he is now an accomplished comedian and musician who is very happily married. https://www.michaelregiliocomedy.com/

Dr. Lisa wants to know why Nick isn't more active in promoting his work. This therapy session uncovers Nicks complex relationship with his work and how it's tied into his relationship with his parents who are both artists. Together Nick and Dr. Lisa figure out why these relationships may be getting in his way of where his art career could be going. Nick's work is INCREDIBLE. Check it out! Here's more.

ABBY EHMANN Bar Proprietrix, Sign Maker, Editrix, Costumer, Scribbler, Tiara & Crown Creator, Burner, Cheap Beer Swiller recently opened HEKATE, a new "sober bar" at 167 Avenue B between 10th and 11th Streets in the East Village, right across the street from her other bar - Lucky. Hekate is an intimate sober bar and specialty tea shop fueled by feminine energy, designed for those who seek the alchemy of herbal elixirs. It is a convivial community place for anyone who might appreciate an alternative to bars. Time Out New York loves Hekate! In this session, Dr. Lisa takes a deep dive into what Abby learned about herself while in pandemic shutdowns: alcohol, humanity, fantastic new developments in alcohol-free drinks. She is putting her new ideas into action—this lady is an inspiration!

I was totally jolted out of my art world cynicism by spending an hour with these two masters, one accomplished and one on his way. Don Porcella is a well-known artist with amazing, original work and a loooong resume of shows, fairs and collectors. Christian Williams, a young talent, seemingly plucked out of Buffalo, NY—comes to NYC and has the great good fortune of being paired with Don through Wild Geese Gallery. They share a sense of humor and other aesthetics in their work, but what comes through is the magic of a shared passion for creativity which produces a bond that transcends all of the other stuff. Though Don and Christian live hundreds of miles apart, I think these guys will be in touch for many, many years to come. Don Pocella Bio: Born and raised in Modesto, California, Don Porcella’s artwork has been exhibited at galleries and museums around the world including the United States, China, Greece, Germany, France, Denmark, Colombia and Mexico. Porcella’s art has been published in the New York Times,

Jen Dalton did a great show this summer at Mother-In-Laws, a wonderful, experimental art space in Germantown, run by  Jessica Hargreaves, Kathleen Vance and Daniel Aycock Here's a quote from the press release of Jen's exhibition that will highlight the genesis in topics we covered in this emotionally transparent session: There is so much to apologize for. And almost everyone does a terrible job of it, when they try at all. No amount of money seems to smooth the process from mistakes and bad behavior to self-awareness and reckoning. Famous people are terrible role models in this regard, as so in so many others; their vague, slow-to-emerge statements are designed to imply the bare minimum of contrition and help their careers survive another day. Each text is a shrewdly-honed gem that its crafters hope will dissipate a controversy or deflect attention; taken all together they expose the values of those in power and our culture at large. We’re living through a boom-time for disingenuousness, gaslighting and DARVO

Had a great chat with Liam-he was a well known standup and hosted an underground, well-respected comedy show in NYC for many years - Tell Your Friends, which he made into a movie directed by Victor Varnado. Thanks to Liam, I saw so many fabulous comics perform in an intimate setting such John Oliver, Kumail Nanjiani, Aziz Ansari, Janeane Garafalo, and so many more. In 2015, Liam decided to move to LA. Now at age 46, after receiving several awards for screenwriting he’s been accepted into which is a very prestigious film program at University of Southern California where he begins the end of this month! There’s a lot to Liam behind these details here and getting sober along the way is one part of it. BIOGRAPHY Liam McEneaney is a 2019 Academy Nicholl quarterfinalist. Two of his screenplays placed in the 2020 Final Draft Big Break Contest, and are both semifinalists in the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival. Most recently, he was a contributing writer for GARY BUSEY: PET JUDGE. Touted as one of the "100 Best Comedians

Jon Reid is writing a book. Is Jon’s experience fronting a band that he gave up going to affect the way he handles the publishing world? Will he be disappointed again? How is he going to prepare himself to handle the commercial world of publishing where editors and publishers fuck with writer’s work? These are some of the paths we go down figuring out how Jon is going to get the best results for his hard work of writing a personal and powerful memoir/novel. Here's a previous session I did with Jon from 2021 where we talk more in depth about his background growing up and his escapades as a performing musician. https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/RADIO5057730694.mp3?updated=1638205945 Check out Jon's extremely popular radio show: Race to the Bottom

I really like Jake's work—he's the real deal—no bullshit. He was on the show in 2015 and it was great to catch up and talk about how is career has progressed. He just got back from touring with a cool band Eve 6. Also we had a very thought-provoking talk about polyamory which was great because like I said—it was real. Check out Jake's comedy. I am a fan and I am picky! More about Jake Flores—he has an interesting background: Flores was born in San Antonio, Texas, and grew up in Houston.[3] His father, a chemist, is Mexican-American; his mother, who is white, is originally from the Midwest.[3][4][5] He is descended from Juan José Arredondo, a Mexican anarchist who worked with Ricardo Flores Magón during the Mexican Revolution.[3][6] Stand-up comedy Flores began performing comedy in Austin, Texas, when he was 19, after dropping out of the University of Texas at Austin.[1][7][8][9][10] In 2007, he performed in the finals of NBC's Stand Up For Diversity contest.[11] He moved to Brooklyn, New York, at age 27 to

I have been a huge fan of Portia Munson since I saw her work at the Bad Girls Show at the New Museum in 1994. In our session, she was an open book on so many topics which both surprised me and yet, made sense at the same time since her work is so honest. We talked in depth about her childhood, her dyslexia which likely help develop her focus to make visual art. She talked about growing up in a religious family, and how it affected her. We discussed her role as a young female artist attending Cooper Union and Skowhegan, before moving to the Catskills with her husband. Some great pre-gentrification, lower east side stories in there! She had an early job which including being a cab driver-weird, right? She has a great, secure take on being a mother-she has 2 children, a boy, now 24, and a girl who is 19. I could go on-but just listen for yourself! More about Portia's work: https://www.ppowgallery.com/artist/portia-munson/work www.portiamunson.com This video is a great studio visit with Portia in the Catskills: h

I start this session by blurting out to my guest, ArtNet's National Art Critic, Ben Davis, that I have an art critic crush on him because I do! And I barely know him. Ben is one of the most insightful, honest, direct and hilarious art writers I have ever read. He really stands out to me in his art writing in that he is able to place art in a cultural, economic and social context in a very articulate, comprehendible way, while somehow uniquely incorporating a great sense of humor which makes his work a pleasure to read. Let's give ArtNet a BIG SHOUTOUT too for having Ben in his role there! I dig into whether Ben sees himself they way I see him, as a bit of a rebel in the art world, and turns out Ben had an unusual childhood which I think, gives him a certain objectivity on culture. Ben grew up on a sailboat! This somehow full-on blows my my mind and I have a lot of gee wiz type questions to get to the root of Ben’s perspective on the world from his unusual traveling environment growing up. Ben has just publish