Citywide Blackout
381 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsCitywide Blackout is the home for artists of all kinds, from filmmakers to musicians to authors and everything in between. The show also covers comic-cons, book expos, and film festivals.
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Episodes
Pax East, Part 3
June 24, 2019 16:12 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBBen Chou's Pax East coverage wraps up with three great interviews. Kelsey Choi—a cosplayer and League of Legends Pro-Am player—opens the podcast with an in-depth look at how the games work and how she became an ambassador. She also talks about the games she grew up on and how it helped her overcome her shyness. She's been cosplaying for years and has been making her own costumes as well, and talks about what she's learned through doing this. Angelica Marie is also a cosplayer and talks abou...
The life and times of Sepsiss
June 24, 2019 03:17 - 1 hour - 81.5 MBSinger-songwriter Kate Eppers joins me as guest co-host to hang out with the New Hampshire-based metal band Sepsiss. We talk about the band's origin and how they've built it into the business it is today. They outline their ongoing tour, early shows and the lessons they offered, and the epic fans known as the Sepsiss Zombies. We also touch on gaming with Immaculate Connection Gaming, the Halo community they've created. Playlist (In order) Sepsiss-To Write Hate On His Arms Sepsiss-Eyes ...
Pax East, Part 2: Fidget Creative and Hub Games
June 17, 2019 18:01 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBFor our second installment of Ben Chou's Pax East coverage, he talks to John, co-founder of Fidget Creative, about their new game Valhallamas. It's a card game featuring llamas in a battle royale-style format. Players draft their llamas and gear and then the fun begins! John talks about the kinds of games the company makes, how they're more family-oriented and how kids react to them. Following this, Ben sits down with Rory O'Connor and Michael Fox of Hub Games. They outline some of the ga...
Sterling Golden and The Sterling Perspective Podcast
June 17, 2019 00:57 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MBLongtime radio host Sterling Golden joins me to talk about his new podcast, The Sterling Perspective, which premiers on June 21 on Boston Free Radio's Podcast Network. Sterling talks about how it felt to close out his morning show, Sterlingtology Live, what the new program will focus on, and his co-hosts, Whitney Otte, Jon Afrobeats, and Tiara Life. We also look at the public reaction to the end of his last show and the debut of his new one and how he's adapting to being a podcast host. Pla...
Being BALR all day, house concert happenings, and the crisis of Curls
June 12, 2019 12:47 - 1 hour - 103 MBIt was so much fun, we're doing it twice! Austin Arocco and Julie Diorio return to talk more about the upcoming BALRFest 2019 show happening June 29 at Thunder Road. This time, they're bringing friends! Liz Bills of Analog Heart and Susanna Smash of The Skirts, two of the bands on the lineup, join the discussion on being in a female-fronted band and plans for similar shows in the future. Linda Marks is up next to talk about the upcoming show at City Winery Boston that she'll be performing a...
A tale of two cities--and lots of great music
June 03, 2019 19:35 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBOriginally from Memphis, Tennessee, singer-songwriter Jerry Hull made the big jump 17 years ago to the UK, where he lives today. He's got years and years of show stories, and he shares a few of them, including one where a malfunctioning piano required some impressive improvisation. He talks about some of his favorite venues in England and Memphis and how he adapted to the new life. Jerry has a new album out, “When You Were Famous.” It's got some pretty great stories, and Jerry talks about t...
Being a Millennial and capturing 16 years in music
May 28, 2019 23:19 - 1 hour - 79.8 MBAuthor Peter Darrow is up first with his new book, "Wise Millennial: A Field Guide to Thriving in Modern Life." This book looks at the concept of millennials and how they can grow and find their own path. It's something Peter is very familiar with, having started his own restaurant in New York City and closing it a short time later. He speaks to lessons learned over the years and what his life experiences have had to teach him. Rapper Tru-L has a lot to be happy about. In just a few days a...
Being a BALR and just what's under The Platform
May 21, 2019 02:07 - 1 hour - 99.1 MBOn this week's show, Austin Arroco and Julie Diorio and I talk about the music scene of Boston and the need for more representation for its artists. This ties in with the great show coming up later in June called BALRFest 2019, showcasing Boston's BadAss Ladies of Rock. Austin helped book this show and gives us the lineup, all female-fronted bands of different genres. ShellzdaGod joins me to talk about his newest releases and the great global response they've received. He's had the chance t...
Cool concept albums and epic sci-fi adventures
May 14, 2019 01:25 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBComic creator Jim Zub opens the show with a detailed look at the new title, Stone Star. Jim introduces us to the team he's working with to bring this great sci-fi title to life, the story covered in the five-part series, and plans for more down the road. You can get this title exclusively on Comixology Originals. After the break, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Lissa Schneckenburger. Her new album, available May 17, is called “Thunder In My Arms.” It's a concept album that looks at her pers...
Pax East, Part 1
May 08, 2019 18:10 - 52 minutes - 47.9 MBIn Part 1 of our coverage of Pax East, Convention Correspondent Ben Chou chats with Daniel Beardo, co-founder of the Pax East Unofficial Community group, and the official Beachball Guy, Ted Morang.
From Florida to Boston and back again
May 06, 2019 22:19 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBOn this week's show, I chat with ALX, a member of the Berklee College of Music's Popular Music Institute, where they get the chance to hit the stage for summer festivals, and learn from other students about song development, marketing, and promotion. ALX nerd out a bit on anime, something that has found its way into his music, and talk about his plans once college is completed. Next up it's Tampa-based singer-songwriter Frankie Raye. She's got a new album out called “Brave” and shares some ...
Certified clairvoyants and life coaching
April 30, 2019 01:18 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBAuthor Michelle DesPres is up first, and she has a great story to share. A certified clairvoyant, she talks about how one tells the real deal from the fakes. She's got a new book out called In "Intuitively You," and in this she breaks down the stereotypes that only certain people are gifted with intuition and teaches how intuition can be utilized in every situation. Kayce Stevens Hughlett lived her life in a successful career before one day deciding to give that up to pursue a new career as...
Divertier Publishing's 10-year anniversary, new game Heroes and Treasure, and author Kate Kaufmann's latest book
April 21, 2019 23:31 - 1 hour - 83.6 MBKen Tupper of Divertir Publishing opens the show with a look back at the company's 10 years in business, if Ken ever thought he'd reach this milestone. He walks us through the process of book selection and how much time he gives to the hundreds of submissions he receives each year. Next up, a gem from our Boskone visit, Matt Zappa and I talk to Jason Davis, creator of the family-friendly board game Heroes and Treasure. Jason talks about how he came up with the idea, the game's mechanics, an...
Nicki Kris's new album and Lady V on her radio show
April 15, 2019 01:13 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBFor this week's episode, singer-songwriter Nicki Kris talks about her new album “Heartbeat” and some of the very personal stories behind her music. She's a Grammy-ballotted artist and she shares her experiences with the award process. She's also had the chance to have her work featured in movies and television. Boston's own Lady V is up next and she's got a lot to talk about, from the origin of her program The V Line and some of the artists she's interviewed. She's a recent entry into socia...
April 2, 2019: Kitty Game/Amrit Ghatore/Naomi Westwater
April 02, 2019 20:03 - 2 hours - 111 MBOpening this week's podcast, I talk to the husband and wife comic-creating team of Comfort and Adam. I interviewed them a couple months ago for their comic “Rainbow in the Dark,” and this time, we look at their cat-inspired title “Kitty Game.” Based in part on their cat Obi-Wan, this comic follows and adventures of Marty the cat as he traverses lands of science fiction, fantasy, and action. London-based musician Amrit Ghatore has a new music video out for his song, “It's OK.” This video inc...
Citywide Blackout, March 23, 2019: Fabien Nicieza and Reilly Brown
March 23, 2019 14:12 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBComic legends Fabian Nicieza and Reilly Brown join me to talk about their highly popular comic “Outrage,” available exclusively through WEBTOON. A virus is attacking people who abuse others on the internet. Comedic ass-kickings are occurring across the country by a sentient entity that appears through the personal devices of people everywhere. We talk about the origin of the character, how the story developed, and how the current social climate plays a role. We also delve into the many, many...
March 20, 2019: Boskone Podcast 2 with Brenda Clough and Morgan Duran
March 20, 2019 13:18 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBIn the second episode of my Boskone podcast series, author Brenda Clough and I chat about time travel and how it works in her science fiction series. She also talks about the inherent challenges that come with writing a novel and the methods she uses to ensure she's able to complete a book once it's started. Morgan Duran has both music and books to talk about, and we open with “The Chilling Zone,” a sci-fi tale with political intrigue and dark secrets. She shares her work in music, the styl...
Citywide Blackout, March 16, 2019: Kathleen Valenti/Avanti Nagral
March 17, 2019 02:06 - 1 hour - 81.6 MBOn this week's podcast, I open with author Kathleen Valenti, who has a new book in her Maggie O'Malley seires, “As Directed.” She talks about the Maggie's development, going from recent college grad to solving one murder after another. Kathleen also delves into her marketing background and how this has helped her to spread the word about her work. Following this I play a new single from Mike Allen, “Set in Stone.” Mike began playing professionally at 16, working for the Little Walter Price ...
Citywide Blackout, March 12, 2019: Boskone Part 1 with S.L. Huang/Eugene Doucette
March 13, 2019 01:47 - 1 hour - 79.3 MBWelcome to the first in my series of Boskone interviews. Boskone is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention that takes place in Boston. I've covered it for the past few years, and it's always been a great time. First up, author S.L. Huang and I talk about the times she's been set on fire (seriously) while working as a stunt person and how this and martial arts training come into play in her work. We chat about villains and how they sometimes imitates life, particularly in this curr...
Citywide Blackout, March 10, 2019: Mikel Wisler/The Adventures of June Bug
March 11, 2019 01:10 - 1 hour - 94.3 MBOn this week's show, I welcome back author and filmmaker Mikel Wisler to talk about his new book, “Sleepwalker,” a thrilling tale involving the bleeding edge of robotics and nanotechnology. We talk about the real vs. the fiction and how our own world mirrors the one he created. Next up, we're talking radio dramas! Writer Jim Newman of the podcast The Adventures of June Bug shares the origin story of this new series, how it was casted and the process of bringing these characters to life. We'...
Citywide Blackout, March 3, 2019: Richard Starkings/Matt Warren
March 02, 2019 15:10 - 1 hour - 91 MBComic legend and creator of the Elephantmen series Richard Starkings opens the show. We talk about the concept behind his new series “Ask for Mercy” –available exclusively on ComiXology Originals—a tale of Nazi demons and the group of supernatural warriors tasked with stopping them. We also talk the “graying” of the world of comics and how it's impacted the characters of this and other titles. We spend some time on our favorite characters, the notion of hope and it's reflected in certain tit...
Citywide Blackout, Feb. 23, 2019: Christine Lajewski/Dust Prophet
February 24, 2019 03:35 - 1 hour - 77.3 MBOpening this week's podcast is horror author and haunt actress Christine Lajewski. We talk about the monster in her book, “Bonebelly” and her time working at haunted houses and how it's become a part of her book. We've even got a cool giveaway, so be sure to listen for the question. After that, industrial metal artist Otto Kinzel is back on the show with https://dustprophet.com/ Some old friends have returned to lend their talents to this new foursome and the result is some amazing metal. T...
Boskone Preview, Part 2: Fonda Lee/Christopher Golden
February 14, 2019 18:12 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBIn this episode of Citywide Blackout, we continue our pre-Boskone coverage. Boskone is an annual fantasy and science fiction book festival that I've attended for years and always have a blast at. It's happening this weekend, Feb. 15-17, and you can learn more at boskone.org. First up, I talk to Portland, Oregon-based writer Fonda Lee about audiobooks and how to get the voices just write, her joy at writing fight scenes, and how to best prep for a convention like Boskone. Next up, it's auth...
Citywide Blackout, Feb. 10, 2019: Clea Simon/Gerald Coleman
February 11, 2019 01:11 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBWelcome to our podcast preview of the annual Boskone book festival. First up is author Clea Simon—a newcomer to the Boskone family. She and I talk about the Boston music scene, which is the setting for her book “World Enough,” our favorite clubs, and how the it's changed over the years. She shares the story behind her new mystery novels, most of which have animals as the main characters. Fellow writer Gerald Coleman's resume is far too long to list, but we cover a lot of ground in this inte...
Citywide Blackout, Feb. 3, 2019: Rainbow in the Dark
February 03, 2019 19:26 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBIn this week's podcast, I sit down with Comfort and Adam, creators of one of my favorite comics, “Rainbow in the Dark,” now available on the Webtoon app. We talk about the wide array of characters and what each brings to the table, fan reaction to the story and how its changed their lives, and how these two made a career in the world of comics. Big thanks go to Kim Estlund for arranging the interview. Stick around, because I've also got some new music to share. First, it's “Imaginary Me,” f...
Citywide Blackout, Jan. 27, 2019: 19 Miles Per Hour/Sonya Jevette/Ultrafeedy
January 27, 2019 19:46 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBWelcome back to another exciting episode of Citywide Blackout, your podcast home for the best in music, movies, and more. This week, it's all about the movies, as I chat with the New Hampshire-based foursome 19 Miles Per Hour. They recently released a new album and have had a great 2018 of shows, with more planned for the new year. Next we traipse down to Texas to speak with singer-songwriter Sonya Jevette. She too has had a lot happen, and we speak on her production company, how you get y...
Citywide Blackout, Jan. 19, 2019: Fact Pattern/Avi Wisnia
January 19, 2019 18:37 - 1 hour - 97.8 MBOn this week's episode of Citywide Blackout, I sit down with Raanan Bozzio, drummer of the band http://www.fact-pattern.com/. This LA-based band is now in its third year and recently released a new single, “A Form To Be.” We talk movies, music, how the band first formed and their plans for 2019. Later, Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Avi Wisnia and I hang out at The Twisted Tail to talk about his plans in the new year, and also how he came to Philly and his grandfather's influence on h...
Citywide Blackout, Jan. 11, 2019: Star Power Comic
January 11, 2019 18:28 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBOn this episode I sat down with Michael Terracciano, writer of the Star Power comic series. We talk about the characters and world of Star Power, plus the changes in the web comic world. Stick around after the interview for new music from the Terry Douglas Band, “The Devil That You Don't Know,” plus, from Liz Fawcett's new album “Start Again,” “New Times” and “Crazy Land.”
Citywide Blackout, Jan. 8, 2019: FBGM/MELT
January 09, 2019 03:42 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBIn this episode, Boston's own FBGM talk to Max as they tour the East Coast with a stop in Philadelphia's Anthorna Gallery. And they've got some big new for 2019! Later on, Paul Pipitone of the Boston-based band Melt talks about their recent release and the changing music scene of the city.
Rhode Island Authors Expo, Part 3
December 28, 2018 17:57 - 42 minutes - 52 MBPart three of my podcast series from the RIAA writer's expo. Lisa Gardner talks about how to make great characters. Rebecca Harrington shares tales of celebrity diets and social media faux pas. Sharon Contillo tells us all about her book, “The Little Christmas Ornament.”
Dec. 21, 2018: Jennifer Mlott/The Hubley Case/Natalie Jean
December 21, 2018 22:41 - 1 hour - 93.9 MBJennifer Mlott opens the show to talk about her new album “Light Up Christmas” and her love for the holiday season. Author J. Lee walks us through the planning that went into his debut thriller, “The Hubley Case.” The book begins with the murder of American businessman Peter Hubley, and leads to a worldwide chase involving Special Agent Nikki Benton and Ben Siebert, a rebellious ex-Marine with a questionable past. Natalie Jean closes this episode out with a look at the new single she relea...