It's All True! artwork

It's All True!

82 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 46 ratings

This conversational storytelling podcas features interviews with a wide range of guests who are prompted to reveal a headline for a funny personal true story. Hosted by comedian Tim Barnes, "It's All True!" is quick, sonically rich and always fun.

timbarnescomedy.substack.com

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Episodes

IAT Ep#39: Mind Reader Mark Toland

December 15, 2014 17:32 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MB

Mind Reader Mark Toland talks about the difference between magic and mentalism, what it's like being skilled at trickery and answers the ultimate question: "Was Jesus a magician?" Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#38: Music Producer Stefan Ponce

December 08, 2014 18:15 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MB

Grammy nominated music producer Stefan Ponce explains what inspires his sound, his process working with rappers and why he feels he makes "internet famous" songs. He also tells the most L.A. story you'll ever hear starting off with the headline "It Sucks Being Ron Jeremy" Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#37: Writer Britt Julious

December 02, 2014 01:41 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MB

Britt Julious (Vice, Chicago Tribune) explains her writing style, and what it's like interacting with readers on the internet. That, plus her real life headline "Young Black Feminist Slut-Shames Ex-Boyfriend," and the story behind it! Twitter: @britticism, @alltruepodcast, @TimBarnes451 Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#36: Author Bill Hillmann

November 24, 2014 19:43 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MB

Bill Hillmann, author of "The Old Neighborhood" talks about growing up in Chicago, becoming a bull runner in Spain and saving Irvine Welsh's life. He also tells an amazing true story. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#35: Comedian Wyatt Cenac

November 17, 2014 18:13 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MB

Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show) discusses his love for Brooklyn, puppets and comedy. His new special "Brooklyn" is now available on Netflix. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#34: Rapper ShowYouSuck

November 10, 2014 17:52 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MB

Clinton Sandifer (a.k.a. ShowYouSuck) explains the origin of his rap name and how pizza, pop culture and MTV influence his work. He also tells an incredible true story involving DMX. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#33: Comedian Jonathan Katz

November 03, 2014 20:25 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MB

Jonathan Katz chats with Tim about starting his comedy career in New York, working in Comedy Centrals Dr Katz Professional Therapist and how he comments on being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his material. He also tells a string of hilarious true stories. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#32: Actor Gregory Hollimon

October 27, 2014 18:57 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MB

"Black Man Beats Mexican With A Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus" - Gregory Hollimon (a.k.a. Principal Onyx Blackman from Strangers with Candy) talks about growing up in the Cabrini–Green Homes of Chicago's near north side and entering the world of improv. He also tells a hilarious story about an awkward scuba diving experience. (Photo by Gregory Hollimon) Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#31: Activist Suey Park

October 20, 2014 17:11 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MB

"Suey Park Still Does Not Understand Satire" - Activist Suey Park discusses the art of twitter hashtags, growing up as one of the few Asian American's in a mostly white neighborhood and the time she pretended to be a comedian as a social experiment. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#30: Comedian Dave Hill

October 13, 2014 17:14 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MB

"Mexican Vacation Is Anything But Mexellent" Dave Hill kicks off season 3 by unveiling what it was like growing up in the gloomy area of Cleveland, and describing the time he visited a dangerous prison in Mexio. Click play and learn the true meaning of the "Cleveland Nasty." Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#29: Comedian Derek Sheen

August 18, 2014 22:53 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MB

Derek Sheen joins It's All True! to talk about his emergence into comedy, the ways music affects his humor and how important word choice is to making something funny. He also tells an amazing true story about getting to know his estranged father, who just so happened to be a runner for the Mafia. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#28: Writer/Comedian Daniel Kibblesmith

August 11, 2014 17:32 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MB

Daniel Kibblesmith (The Onion) joins It's All True! to discuss the origins of the ClickHole website, the secret to The Onion's sense of humor and the writing process for his book "How To Win At Everything." Lastly, Daniel tells a hilarious true story about the time he fought an autobot. Like, for real kinda. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#27: Comedian Nore Davis

August 05, 2014 14:36 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MB

Comedian Nore Davis (HBO, Comedy Central) joins It's All True! to discuss his problems with the college system, his comedic inspirations and the difficulty of creating funny jokes that challenge audiences -- particularly in the black community. Also, his headlining story "Was I On Last Comic Standing?" Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#26: Comedian Josh Gondelman

July 28, 2014 18:11 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MB

Writer/Comedian Josh Gondelman joins "It's All True!" to talk the origins of the Modern Seinfeld (@SeinfeldToday) twitter handle, the Boston/New York comedy scenes AND his headlining story "Precocious Toddler Escapes Classroom Repeatedly." Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#26: Comedian Josh Gondelman

July 28, 2014 18:11 - 14.7 MB

Writer/Comedian Josh Gondelman joins "It's All True!" to talk the origins of the Modern Seinfeld (@SeinfeldToday) twitter handle, the Boston/New York comedy scenes AND his headlining story "Precocious Toddler Escapes Classroom Repeatedly."

IAT Ep#25: Actress Fawzia Mirza

July 23, 2014 00:26 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

Actress Fawzia Mirza (Kam Kardashian web series) discusses gender, comedy and the pressure of deciding to make a career out of performing on It’s All True. Plus, her headline story "Doctors Discover Medical First In Woman's Mouth." Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#24: Comedian Liza Treyger [Explicit]

July 14, 2014 18:24 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MB

Comedian Liza Treyger (Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central) talks with host Tim Barnes about her influences, both comedic and alcoholic. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#23: Comedian Kevin Mullaney

July 07, 2014 22:32 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MB

Improviser Kevin Mullaney (UCB, iO) discusses his journey in the world of comedy and the differences between various improv institutions from coast to coast. Host, Tim Barnes brings up the seeming separation between stand-ups and improvisers in Chicago and it all ends with a hilarious true story. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#22: Bestselling author Denise Kiernan

July 01, 2014 17:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MB

Read Before You Click "Send." New York Times and and NPR Bestselling author Denise Kiernan stops in on the It's All True! podcast to tell us how to be like Indiana Jones, writing for Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and about her bestselling book, The Girls of Atomic City. Plus, she tells us her funny, true story about someone hitting "send" on an email when she really shouldn't have. Wow. We've all been there. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/...

IAT Ep#21: Comedian Adam Burke

June 24, 2014 00:00 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MB

Adam Burke (Just For Laughs, The First Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival) discusses the world of Chicago comedy and his strange travels as an Irishman in Russia with host Tim Barnes. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#20: Radio icon Richard Steele

June 17, 2014 17:20 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MB

Chicago radio icon Richard Steele joins It’s All True! host Tim Barnes for a conversation about the evolution of race relations in Chicago, and how Richard became a disc jockey in the first place. The path makes its way through the tumult and segregation of the 1950s & '60s in a highly segregated Chicago that was unwelcoming of the integration of African-Americans. Steele talks about coming up in that environment, about his doo-wop group The Bishops and about his entry into radio. It's a stor...

IAT Ep#19: Comedian James Adomian

June 10, 2014 15:42 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MB

Comedian James Adomian joins host Tim Barnes to discuss being an impressionist and the time he bombed opening for comedy legend Joan Rivers. James was a top-10 finalist on Last Comic Standing (NBC) and is a frequent guest on Comedy Bang Bang, and The Todd Glass Show. He performs standup and characters live at Upright Citizens Brigade and at festivals, theaters, and dive bars. His debut album "Low Hangin' Fruit" was released in 2012. (Photo by Mindy Tucker) Get full access to Letters From...

IAT Ep#18: Writer/storyteller Samantha Irby

June 03, 2014 16:31 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MB

Writer/storyteller Samantha Irby joins It's All True host Tim Barnes in a conversation about the origins of her blog, Chicago's booming storytelling scene and what it's like having a day job while pursuing your art. She also tells an incredibly funny true story. Samantha Irby is writer/performer with work that has appeared on The Rumpus and Jezebel. She created the popular blog, b*****s gotta eat and has published a collection of essays in a book titled MEATY. She opened for Baratunde Thurst...

IAT EP#17: Comedian Eddie Izzard

May 26, 2014 16:02 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MB

Comedian Eddie Izzard joins host Tim Barnes in a conversation about comedy, performing his act in multiple languages (including French, German, Russian and Spanish), some of his comedy heroes and his aversion to telling true stories. Izzard is currently touring America with his new act, Force Majeure. Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

IAT Ep#16: Comedian Hari Kondabolu

May 19, 2014 00:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MB

Comedian and writer, Hari Kondabolu (Totally Biased with W. Kamu Bell) joins host Tim Barnes in a conversation about comedy, race and Hari’s new album ‘Waiting For 2042’ Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#14: with Comedian Sean White

February 11, 2014 14:25 - 10 minutes - 9.48 MB

Tim Barnes welcomes comic Sean White to the ‘It’s All True!’ podcast. They dicuss his transition to personal comedy, his dream of stealing Jon Stewart's job at The Daily Show, and his strange high school adventures. Originally from Alabama, Sean is now located in Chicago and can be seen in showcases and clubs throughout the Midwest and South. Called a "Gem" by RE:Com Chicago Comedy magazine, Sean White has been seen in clubs across 3 countries. His odd yet relatable style of quick thought pr...

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#12: with Musician/Storyteller Danny Black

January 20, 2014 22:55 - 14 minutes - 13 MB

The Whiskey Journal contributor Tim Barnes welcomes musician and storyteller Danny Black to the ‘It’s All True!’ podcast. The dissect the differences between the music and comedy business before Danny tells the long and winding tale of his odd friendship with a famous comic. Danny Black is a member of the musical group, The Blacks (originally called 'The Black Family') an insurgent country band from Chicago. They released two albums through Bloodshot Records. Danny also performs as a story...

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#11: with Radio Hosts Brian Babylon & Molly Adams

January 13, 2014 19:18 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MB

The Whiskey Journal contributor Tim Barnes welcomes comedian Brian Babylon and journalist Molly Adams to the ‘It’s All True!’ podcast. They discuss how their unlikely friendship through co-hosting a radio program lead to them catching a flight to Los Angeles for a taping of the show Jeapordy. Brian Babylon is a stand up comic and panelest on the NPR game show Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! Molly Adams is a journalist who writes for Chicago Reader and has reported for NPR. They both host the cal...

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#9: with Comedian Michael Timlin [Explicit]

December 24, 2013 01:40 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MB

Comedian Michael Timlin talks to host Tim Barnes about his brief encounter with the law at a college party. Follow Michael on twitter at: @cowboytimlin Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#3: with Storyteller Lily Be [Explicit]

November 11, 2013 19:41 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MB

Tim Barnes welcomes Moth GrandSLAM champion Lily Be to the ‘It’s All True!’ podcast. Lily tells the sweet, lovely and horrifying story of discovering that the man she was engaged to was a bed-wetter. According to Gapers Block, "Be never writes her stories and relies on the oral tradition she grew up with." She produces a storytelling show called Stoop-Style Stories which takes place the last Thursday of each month at Rosa's Lounge in Humboldt Park. Follow Lily Be on twitter at: @queenlily...

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#2: with Comedian Ian Abramson

November 05, 2013 00:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MB

Tim Barnes welcomes comedian/writer/and closest comedy friend Ian Abramson to the ‘It’s All True!’ podcast. Ian was given the challenge to tell a story that he's never heard throughout there long friendship, and boy does it deliver. Ian has worked with the creators of Comedy Central's 'Dr. Katz' on various web projects including "The Pitch Show!" Get full access to Letters From African America at timbarnescomedy.substack.com/subscribe

(ARCHIVES) IAT Ep#1: with Storyteller Shannon Cason

October 28, 2013 00:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MB

Tim welcomes Moth GrandSLAM champion Shannon Cason to the 'It's All True!' podcast. Shannon tells him a funny true story about growing up in the mean streets of Detroit. Shannon is a contributor to NPR's Snap Judgment, a staff writer for WBEZ's Paper Machete, and hosts the 'Homemade Stories' podcast. This episode also features a headline from WJ contributor Ross Kelly. Get more info on Shannon at www.shanoncason.com Theme: Freddie Nunez Sound Engineer: Faraz Hussain Get full access to...

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