"Insight" Radio Interview

Had a great time this morning doing my interview on Capital Public Radio, KXJZ 90.9 FM, for the show "Insight", to promote the big MDA Fundraiser show on Thursday night at Tommy T's.

Got up WAY too early for this today.  Well...early for me.  And it wasn't so much that it was early as that I was a bit ill last night and didn't get to sleep until late.  So after about 3.5 hours of sleep, I was up and ready to launch!  Groggy, but ready to launch!

I went first and picked up Vladimir from his place, as he was coming along to take photos.  After getting ourselves a little lost, we made it to the station in time, and even found out I was to be the last segment, so I was plenty early.  We got guided back to the green room (how many times in the average human life to you get to be in someone's green room?  AWEsome), but were offered pink cupcakes along the way by station employees who were having a birthday party.  Do pink cupcakes and green rooms mix?

In the green room (after I signed the "Insight" guest book per request), we met a writer by the name of Eric Volz.  We asked about what he wrote, which he described as "memoir and true crime" (?).  After getting more info, we found out he wasn't a fiction writer, but wrote a book about his experiences being framed and jailed in Nicaragua for the rape and murder of a local girl that he'd been involved with.  This is a messed up, all true story.  And it turns out Vladimir had read about it in a magazine around the time it was all going on.  It's an incredible (and horrifying) tale, and I, myself, can't wait to read the book.  You, too, should try "Gringo Nightmare", and you can order it up right here. 

As as we sat in the green room, comedian Nick Brunner dropped in and joined us.  I'd totally forgotten he worked at the station!  We got to rap for a while and talk about "The Wire" (greatest TV show EVER.  Yes, fellow "Lost" fans, I said it!).  Good seeing him outside the walls of Luna's Cafe.

They called me in to the booth soon enough, and Vladimir went into the sound room to watch through the glass.  I got to meet the show's host, Jeffrey Callison, a fantastic (and Scottish) guy who made me feel right at home.  We got started, and I got to talk about the benefit, about Muscular Dystrophy, about my comedy, and about wheelchair living in general.  I even got to name drop a little (threw in plugs for Ellis Rodriguez, Keith Lowell Jensen, Luna's Cafe, and, of course, a lot about Tommy T's.  I was hoping to be able to pimp a lot more folks and comedy joints, but you can only force that stuff into a 12-minute interview so many times).  Really enjoyed the experience!  And very grateful to Jeffrey, and to show producer Jen Picard who set the whole thing up for me on such short notice.  Thanks for the help getting word out on the event, Capital Public Radio!

If you missed the show, you can listen to it right here:

http://www.capradio.org/programs/programdetail.aspx?showid=7889

When you click on the "Listen" button, a media player window will pop up, and you'll be given the option of playing it through that or right-clicking the link to download the MP3.  I highly recommend the latter, so you can enjoy it right on your iPod.  My interview begins right at 38 minutes in.

So I finished up, rolled outside the building, and my phone rang.  It was Lou with Tommy T's.  Lou had some pretty big news for me (that of course had to happen AFTER I got off the radio).  What was it?  Read the next blog for details!