Tank Top Talks w/ Matt Braunger

You might recognize Melissa from her appearances on Californication, New Girl, Key and Peele, or Black Monday. She’s also an old stand-up pal of mine who used to produce a legendary show downtown called Holy Fuck (Great name, no?). She’s got a new stand-up special coming out soon called “Sparkle” about all the bad jobs she’s worked along the way (which, come on, amazing idea). We had a hilarious convo and you should throw this ep on immediately. Tanks! 

If you haven’t watched Luke Mones’ “Woke Trump” bit from his Don’t Tell Comedy set, go watch it on YouTube now. I’ll wait. Hilarious, right? Luke is one of my favorite comics out there and not just because he’s from my hometown of Portland. He wore a Trailblazer jersey to the taping and we got into some really, really interesting/funny stuff. Do you need an hour of laughs in these trying times? Throw on this episode and enjoy some Luke. Tanks!

Drew Landry writes jokes so good it makes me mad. I’d met him a while back, but we rarely see each other outside of random LA shows, but I follow him online. If you like to laugh, you should also follow Drew online. One of those guys who kind of fly under the radar, yet is always throwing hilarious stuff out there. I loved getting his story, his perspective, and also finding out he spent over a year wearing only tank tops lol. Listen now!

I did a movie with Sherry Cola—Yeah, I said it!! We aren’t in any scenes together, but it counts! Sherry Cola is truly America’s Sweetheart. You might know her from her recent run on Apple TV’s “Shrinking” or from the hit movie “Joy Ride,” but if you don’t yet, you will. Her joy and hilarious outlook are infectious and, even though she kept a jacket over her tank, she killed it with me at the Netflix Fest recording in LA. We did it, tank top folks! Listen in now. 

It’s not a tank top, but DVK could show up in a tux and I’d let him on the show. I last saw Daniel when he came up behind me in Las Vegas and yanked me out of my chair yelling, “You gotta go! Nope! You gotta go!” The fact that he was dressed like a bouncer helped the comedy. Known for his hilarious hosting on the Dumb People Town podcast with The Sklar Brothers, Daniel is also a top-notch stand-up. We got into some serious stuff, some silly stuff, and even what’s next for us entertainers. Strap on a survivalist tank top and listen in! 

Jay Jurden is a hilarious, handsome, opinionated man with a penchant for calling out the elephant in any room. I’ve wanted Jay on the podcast for a while for his quick wit, his shoot-from-the-hip style, and the fact that he looks great in a tank. We had a packed house at the legendary Higbie’s in Austin, Texas at the Moontower Festival, and I can say I don’t remember a recording that was more fun than this one. Throw on a tank, and maybe a cowboy hat, and enjoy.

Sydney Kane wrote a hit show based on something a guy said breaking up with her. Basically, he told her she wasn’t “Wife material” lol. While that would have wrecked most of us, Sydney took that football and ran with it, crafting a show that’s selling out wherever it plays (Next up: The Roxy on the Sunset Strip April 21). I didn’t know Sydney before this show, which is a first for Tank Top Talks, and now I’m a huge fan. This episode is for anybody who’s been rejected and got better for it. Throw on a Marlon-Brandon-Doing-Stanley-Kowalski-on-Broadway-worthy tank top and check it out now.

Tom Thakkar and I did the Toledano Street Festival in New Orleans a couple weeks ago and we juuuuust got over our hangovers. Jeez, it’s almost like they get worse when you’re older when you also have to care for a small child. A native of Indiana and a graduate of the Chicago comedy scene, Tom lived in NYC for years before coming to LA. Like me, he has a small child (well, mine isn’t so small anymore) and he still goes on the road. He also hasn’t worn a tank top since he gained the “baby weight.” We laughed a lot during this one, but also hit some points I didn’t expect. Enjoy these two dads recovering from being not-so-young anymore lol.